Neil Frank
Neil L. Frank | |
|---|---|
| File:Neil Frank.jpg | |
| Born | September 11, 1931[1] Kansas, U.S. |
| Education | PhD. in Meteorology from Florida State University |
| Alma mater | Florida State University Southwestern College |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Velma[2] |
| Children | Pamela (Pam) Frank, Deborah (Debbie) Frank, Ronald (Ron) Frank[3] |
| Relatives | Forrest Frank (grandson) |
Neil Laverne Frank (born September 11, 1931) is an American meteorologist and the former director of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in University Park, Florida. He was instrumental in advancing both the scientific and informational aspects of hurricane forecasting. He retired in 2008 as chief meteorologist at KHOU in Houston. He is the grandfather of American singer Forrest Frank, best known as one half of the pop duo Surfaces and his solo career as a CCM performer.[4][5][6][7][8]
Early history and family
[edit | edit source]Neil Frank grew up in Wellington, Kansas and attended nearby Southwestern College in Winfield. After receiving a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1953 and then military training in weather forecasting, he earned a masters and Ph.D. degrees in meteorology. at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He also was a meteorologist in the U.S. Air Force at Homestead Air Force Base in Homestead, Florida.
National Hurricane Center career
[edit | edit source]Frank served in the United States Air Force where he received training as a weather officer before being a graduate metereology student. In 1961, he began working as a forecaster for the NHC. He was appointed director of the center in 1974. While director, he also served as chairman of the International Hurricane Committee, which coordinates hurricane warnings across North America. He participated in meteorological experiments conducted off the coast of Africa. In 1987, Frank was called to testify as an expert witness before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. As of 2018[update] he is the longest serving director of the NHC.
As NHC director, Frank was in the news frequently and appeared in many interviews with CBS news anchor Dan Rather,[9] whose early career included coverage of several hurricanes.[10]
During Hurricane Allen in 1980, Frank used an amateur radio station to communicate directly with the Brownsville Weather Center in Brownsville, Texas after it lost all of its conventional communications links. The only remaining communications link between the Hurricane Center and Brownsville was the amateur radio station running on battery power. NHC and Brownsville discussed the strange behavior of the eye of Hurricane Allen while it stalled just off the Texas coast for nearly two hours.[11]
Broadcasting career
[edit | edit source]In June 1987, Frank retired from the National Hurricane Center and joined Houston's CBS affiliate, KHOU.[12] He was well known to the Houston market from his reports as director of the National Hurricane Center, particularly from his work during Hurricane Alicia, which made landfall near Houston in 1983. Frank was the chief meteorologist for the television station for over 20 years receiving numerous awards. In December 2007, he announced that he would retire from broadcasting at KHOU-TV in 2008 and on May 19, 2008, Frank announced on the 10 pm broadcast that he was retiring at the end of May.[13] He continued to provide the station with coverage of special weather projects and hurricanes.
Global warming
[edit | edit source]Frank is a signatory to An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming.[14] It claims that Earth and its ecosystems, created by God's intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence, are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting.[15]
Professional memberships and awards
[edit | edit source]- Elected to council, American Meteorological Society, 1989-1992 term
- First place, 1989 Texas Press Awards, best weathercast
- 2004 recipient of the Belo William H. Seay Award
References
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- ^ W4EHW 1980 Dr. Frank & WD4JNS
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- ^ An Evangelical Declaration on Global Warming Archived 2013-04-25 at the Wayback Machine "We believe Earth and its ecosystems – created by God's intelligent design and infinite power and sustained by His faithful providence – are robust, resilient, self-regulating, and self-correcting, admirably suited for human flourishing, and displaying His glory."
External links
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