| 1 | Name: | Dr. Richard M. Goody | |
| Institution: | Harvard University | ||
| Year Elected: | 1997 | ||
| Class: | 1. Mathematical and Physical Sciences | ||
| Subdivision: | 105. Physical Earth Sciences | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Deceased | ||
| Birth Date: | 1921 | ||
| Death Date: | August 3, 2023 | ||
Richard M. Goody died on August 3, 2023 at Broadmead, a continuing care retirement community, in Cockeysville, MD. He was 102 years old. Richard Goody was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England on June 19, 1921. He and his family immigrated to the United States in 1958 and became US citizens in 1965. He is survived by his daughter, Brigid Goody. His wife, Elfriede Goody, and his brother, Jack Goody, preceded him in death. Dr. Goody attended Cambridge University from which he received a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1942. After military service during World War II, he returned to Cambridge to receive his PhD in 1949. He studied radioactive transfer in planetary atmospheres. In 1958, he was appointed as Professor of Dynamic Meteorology and Director of the Blue Hill Observatory at Harvard. He remained at Harvard until his retirement in 1991 as Mallinckrodt and Gordon McKay Professor Emeritus. Dr. Goody's fundamental contributions to geophysics began in 1949 with his work at Cambridge University, England, on the understanding of the structure of stratosphere in which radiative processes play the dominant role in its thermal equilibrium state. This study led him to pursue infrared radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres and the manner in which simplified methodologies can be developed for effective calculations of radiative heating in the atmosphere. Dr. Goody was the first scientist to recognize the potential of using emission spectra for the quantitative measurement of ozone and nitrous oxide, long before the role of these gases in global warming was a fundamental concern. Following his appointment as Abbott Lawrence Rotch Professor of Dynamic Meteorology and Director of the Blue Hill Observatory at Harvard University in 1958, Dr. Goody became the prime academic force in building the Earth and planetary physics program there. He continued research on a number of fundamental programs involving infrared radiation transfer and produced a classic book, Atmospheric radiation: I, Theoretical basis, which he published in 1964. In 1970 he was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences, playing an important role in the geophysics section of the Academy. He also played a key role in the U.S. exploration program on the atmospheres of other planets, principally Mars and Venus. His many important contributions included interpretation of spectroscopy data for the understanding and determination of the planetary compositions and dynamic processes, as well as the instrument design for space probes. In 1982 Dr. Goody, along with two of his colleagues, spearheaded a program referred to as 'Global Habitability' to examine the factors affecting the Earth's ability to sustain life, principally through biogeochemical cycles and climate. He could accurately be described as "the grandfather of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program." Among his many awards are the Buchan Prize of the Royal Meteorological Society (1958); the 50th Anniversary Medal (1970) and the Cleveland Abbe Award (1977) of the American Meteorological Society, 1970; NASA's Public Service Medal (1980); the William Bowie Medal (1998) of the American Geophysical Union; and the Gold Medal (2004) of the International Radiation Commission. He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1997. | |||