Dr. John McCarthy

Dr. John McCarthy, a distinguished meteorologist renowned for his pioneering work in aviation safety, passed away on May 18th in Eugene, OR after a long illness. Born in New Orleans in 1942 to Justine Godchaux McCarthy and Richard McCarthy, Jr., Dr. McCarthy's fascination with weather phenomena began at the age of five after watching "The Wizard of Oz," which inspired his lifelong dedication to meteorology.  He became a “welcome pest” to New Orleans’ meteorologist Nash Roberts at WDSU. While a senior at Metairie Park Country Day School he created a working model of a tornado machine which earned him several key scientific awards. 

Dr. McCarthy earned his B.A. in Physics from Grinnell College (1964) and went on to earn an M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Oklahoma (1967) and a Ph.D. in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Chicago (1973). He taught as a Professor of Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma from 1973-1980.  He served as the founding Director of the Research Applications Program (RAP) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, from 1981 to 1994. In this role, he directed research on aviation weather hazards, notably focusing on microbursts and wind shear, which posed significant risks to aircraft during takeoff and landing. It is estimated that between 1973 and 1985, over 400 aviation deaths occurred because of microbursts in the United States alone (source: Research Applications Laboratory, NCAR).

Under his leadership, RAP collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other institutions to develop real-time microburst detection systems. These efforts led to the establishment of the Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) Program installing automatic microburst detection and warning systems at numerous airports across the United States, significantly enhancing aviation safety. This system continues to save many lives to this day and there has not been a commercial microburst-related accident in the United States since 1994 (source: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-22-0038.1).

Dr. McCarthy was also instrumental in developing the FAA Wind Shear Training Aid in collaboration with United Airlines, which has been incorporated into commercial pilot training programs worldwide, further contributing to flight safety. 

In recognition of his substantial contributions, Dr. McCarthy received the inaugural Aviation and Space Operations Weather Prize in 2017, awarded by a consortium of aviation associations for his lifetime achievements in mitigating aviation weather hazards. His work left an indelible mark on aviation safety and meteorology, saving countless lives and inspiring future generations of scientists.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Dr. McCarthy was known for his excellent singing voice and performed second bass in many choirs throughout his adult life.  He was quite spiritual, often describing a chance encounter with Mother Theresa in Calcutta as the most profound moment in his life.  He also loved hiking in the mountains and international travel. Finally, he loved being a father and a grandfather. 

Dr. McCarthy is survived by his wife of 47 years Carole Shawver, brother Richard McCarthy III, children Denis McCarthy, John Murphy, and Amanda Frazier, 9 grandchildren, friends, and colleagues, who remember him for his humor, his inspirational energy, and his unwavering commitment to science in service to society.  A celebration of John’s life will occur at the Mesa Lab Lobby and Mezzanine at NCAR (Boulder, CO) on September 27th. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. McCarthy’s name can be made to Friends of the National Center https://friendsofthenationalcenter.org/support-us/