Austen H. Nagle

Austen Harold Nagle (1 November 1903-2 September 1984) was an English aeronautical meteorologist who served as the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service, and president of World Meteorological Organisation's Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology.

Life and family Austen Harold Nagle was born in Birmingham, England, on 1 November 1903. and was awarded an MSc.

Nagle lived in Dundrum while director of the IMS, and was remembered by staff for buying fish on Moore Street, who presumed it was for his pet cats. At the time, there was a requirement for Irish civil servants to be Irish citizens, but this was overcome by the BMO assuring the Irish government officials that Nagle's "paternal grandparents Irish born of pure Irish stock present Irish attachments family and social" and through a public interest clause was invoked to employ him as a non-national. At the time of his appointment in 1936, he had 3 staff based in 14-15 St Andrew's Street, Dublin, by 1946, the IMS had 241 staff. In 1947, he was elected chair of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's weather meeting.

He remained in Ireland until 1948, when he took up a post with the US Weather Bureau in Washington, He recommended Mariano Doporto as his replacement in the IMS. On his arrival in Washington, Walter J. Moxom director of the first region of the New York branch of the Weather Bureau described Nagle as "the most valuable man in international meteorology".

Nagle had hoped to be elected the first Secretary-General of the WMO, and he believed that being the US Weather Bureau would be a better sponsor than the IMS. He remained on the ballot until the final round, when he was defeated by David Arthur Davies, who had worked under Nagle in Foynes. and later serving as president.