University of Denver. High Altitude Laboratory (Echo Lake (Colo.))

Biography

After WWII, there was an enormous interest in cosmic ray research, and a consortium of universities - including Chicago, MIT, Michigan and others - joined forces to work with the University of Denver and build the High Altitude Lab facilities near Echo Lake - close to the site of a WWII training camp, now a campground. Echo Lab served then as now as a base camp for work there and at higher altitudes on Mt.Evans. The activity was documented in a photo-story in the Nov. 1948 issue of LIFE magazine.

Through the 1950s, Echo lab hosted numerous seasonal researchers at Echo and at the summit, and several international conferences. Work continued into the 1960s until newer "atom smashers" began to eclipse work on the mountains.