A Man For All Seasons

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National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield at his desk in the hurricane operations room. “The United States has some of the most violent weather patterns on Earth,” he says. “It’s a fascinating place to be a meteorologist.”

For a man destined to become one of the world’s great hurricane experts, Max Mayfield was born in an unlikely place: Oklahoma City. Yet it was here that he first became interested in meteorology. “Oklahoma may not be known for hurricanes,” he says. “But it is a major stop along Tornado Alley. Running down to the basement when a twister came through was a part of everyday life.”

As he grew older, Mayfield found himself becoming intrigued with all types of climate. “The United States has some of the most violent weather patterns on Earth,” he says. “It’s a fascinating place to be a meteorologist.”

After high school, Mayfield went to the University of Oklahoma, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics. He joined the Air Force when he was 22, and it was there he got his first experience as a weather forecaster. By the time he left the service, his mind was made up: he wanted to become a meteorologist.

Read the entire article in the December 2004 issue

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