In Brief

Fond Farewell to Fritz Kasten

At their October 1994 meeting, the Executive Committee members and Operating Agents bid a sad but exuberant farewell to Dr. Fritz Kasten who had served as Operating Agent for two solar radiation data tasks, Tasks 9 and 17. Dr. Kasten is shown here with the special gift presented to him by his fellow Operating Agents--the IEA ROCK-O-METER.

This gift was considered to be especially appropriate for a person who has been involved with various meteorological instruments such as pyranometers, spectrometers, pyrheliometers, etc. Unlike those specialized instruments, however, the ROCK-O-METER is a highly versatile and multi-functional meteorological measurement tool. Just take it outside, and observe: If it's wet, it's raining; if it's white, it's snowing; if it's swinging, it's windy; if you can't see it, it's foggy; if it casts a shadow, it's sunny, .........

Dr. Kasten put his gift to immediate use. Upon exiting the building, he said, "It's black, so it must be night!"

Dr. Kasten was highly regarded among the members of the IEA SHC program for his professional competence, his leadership of the Tasks, and his delightful sense of humor. We all wish him well in his retirement.

Caption:
Fritz Kasten testing his new ROCK-O-METER.