History

Graduate Research Center of the Southwest

Lloyd Berkner was named President of the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest (GRCSW), which was housed on the SMU campus.

Earth and Planetary Sciences Laboratory at SCAS

Francis Johnson headed the Earth and Planetary Sciences Laboratory at GRCSW and William Hanson was recruited to join the team. Erik Jonsson, chairman of the board of the Center, and of Texas Instruments, announced the formation of Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (SCAS) to be administered by GRCSW and housed on a new campus in Richardson.

Atmospheric and Space Sciences at UT Dallas

The continued success of SCAS, coupled with increasing need to expand the research and educational opportunities, led to the transfer of activities, buildings and the land to The University of Texas system. The University of Texas at Dallas was formed as a graduate school at that time. Professor William B. Hanson became Director of the Division of Atmospheric and Space Sciences, which later became the Center for Space Sciences in the Physics Program at UT Dallas. He remained Director of the center until his passing in 1994.

William B. Hansen Center for Space Sciences

In recognition of his efforts to build a center of international excellence, in 1995 the Center for Space Sciences was named The William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences. Professor Rod Heelis is appointed Director of the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences

UT Dallas Magazine article Across Space and Time

William B. Hanson 1923 – 1994: A Retrospective

R.A. Heelis
William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX 75080