Interview of Maxwell Britton by Raimund E. Goerler
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Date
2005-11-30T18:36:47Z
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program
Abstract
Dr. Britton was born in 1912 in a small coal mining town in southern Indiana. He summarized the quality of his high school science courses as poor; for example, a meter stick was the only piece of equipment in the physics course. A botany professor at Indiana State Teachers College stimulated Dr. Britton’s interest in science. An undergraduate assistantship helped pay his college expenses during the Great Depression (1930s). After completing his Master’s degree at the Ohio State University, he enrolled at Northwestern University for his PhD. Dr. Transeau (OSU) encouraged him to become an ecologist. After army service, a colleague at the University of Michigan told him of work with the National Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL) at Barrow. Dr. Britton preferred cold weather to hot weather and so joined NARL in Barrow in 1952.
He discusses some of the difficulties in doing research during the 1950s. Later, he became a science officer at the Office of Naval Research for Arctic Research. The development of a procedure to evaluate and approve research proposals is described. The procedures for supporting the various aspects of research-labor, maintenance, travel, etc. are discussed. The conflict of funding research between the NSF and the Navy are described. Communications prior to e-mail are described and some of the difficulties are discussed.
The development of the ice island research program at NARL is described. Many of the transportation and equipment problems are illustrated with stories. The U.S. Air Force had done the early ice island research. Construction in the Arctic region was often done with the help of Eskimos, as they were good local builders. An icebreaker was used to transport some workers and supplies. An airplane owned by the University of Alaska and Cessnas were used to ferry people to the ice island. The establishment of a base called ARLIS-2 was difficult.
Dr. Britton describes the locating of Barrows Sea Canyon and its importance to submarine traffic in the Arctic Ocean. The lack of environmental knowledge by the early U.S. Navy explorers for oil devastated vast areas of permafrost. Later, the Geological Survey group used their own environmental knowledge to avoid devastation of permafrost. This information was used to construct the pipelines while preserving the permafrost.
In summary, Dr. Britton tells of his satisfying work as a university faculty and in government work (ONR). The interactions between military personnel and scientists were often stressed. The scientists and the native people had positive relationships. He was sorry that the scientists did not recognize the expertise of the Eskimos as early in their program.
Major Themes
Dr. Britton’s childhood in Indiana
Dr. Britton’s college experience, including his initial interest in science and his
undergraduate botany assistantship, Master’s degree at Ohio State University,
and PhD at Northwestern
Office of Naval Research
Research support for the Arctic
The first Alaska Science Conference
Camp Barrow
Communication systems in the Arctic
NARL (National Arctic Research Laboratory)
IGY (International Geophysical Year)
Native Eskimos and their relationship with scientists and researchers
ARLIS-2
Discovery of Barrow Sea Canyon
Use of submarines for the study of the Arctic Ocean
Environmental effects of research, including destruction of permafrost layers
Pipeline construction
Description
Benjamin Harrison Smith, pp. 4
Edgar Nelson Transeau, pp. 10
William C. Steere, pp. 13, 17, 24
Laurence Irving, pp. 15, 17
Ira Wiggins, pp. 17, 24
Max Brewer, pp. 17, 23, 39, 41, 44-45, 47-49, 55-56, 60-61, 65, 67, 72-73, 77, 79-84
Vilhjalmur Stefensson, pp. 18
Sir Hubert Wilkins, pp. 18
Bernt Balchen, pp. 19
John Reed, pp. 19
Dr. Louis Quam, pp. 19, 22, 24, 26, 29, 31, 39, 51, 55-56, 64, 75
Max Byrd, pp. 23
Art Lachenbruch, pp. 23, 73-74
Waldo Lyon, pp. 35-36, 38, 61, 68-69
Rosen Bennett, pp. 38
Max Fisher, pp. 47
Joe Fletcher, pp. 53-54
Bert Crary, pp. 53
Father Tom Cunningham, pp. 55
Noel Ween, pp. 60
Ron McGregor, pp. 66
George McGinnitie, pp. 67
Nettie McGinnitie, pp. 67
George Grits, pp. 72
Vice President Agnew, pp. 74-75
Braggett Hersey, pp. 75
Brian Shoemaker, pp. 81
John Schindler, pp. 81, 83-84
John Kelly, pp. 81
Kenny _________pp. 84, 86
Pete_______pp. 86
Max Ogiak, pp. 86-87
_______Ograk-McCain, pp. 87
The media can be accessed at the links below.
Audio Part 1: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_1.mp3
Audio Part 2: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_2.mp3
Audio Part 3: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_3.mp3
The media can be accessed at the links below.
Audio Part 1: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_1.mp3
Audio Part 2: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_2.mp3
Audio Part 3: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Maxwell_Britton_3.mp3