▁women ' s ▁d orm itory . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁even ▁begin ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁meteor ologist , ▁receiving ▁a ▁B S ▁in ▁chem istry ▁and ▁chemical ▁engineering ▁from ▁North western ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁Navy ▁service ▁Reich ▁entered ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Naval ▁Reserve ▁Force , ▁planning ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁pilot , ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁attended ▁the ▁ground ▁school ▁at ▁Massachusetts ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology , ▁signing ▁up ▁for ▁courses ▁in ▁aer ology ▁( met eor ology ▁for ▁f liers ), ▁expecting ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁Europe . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁Nova ▁Scot ia ▁to ▁brief ▁sub marine ▁pat rol ▁pil ots ▁on ▁weather ▁phen omena . ▁ ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁forec ast ing ▁had ▁relatively ▁thin ▁scientific ▁foundation , ▁but ▁" Re ich ," ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁his ▁friends , ▁believed ▁forec ast ing ▁was ▁of ▁cru cial ▁importance ▁in ▁av iation ▁and ▁anticip ated ▁its ▁development ▁into ▁a ▁more ▁scientific ▁discipline . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Navy , ▁Franklin ▁Del ano ▁Ro ose vel t ▁asked ▁Dr . ▁Alexander ▁Mc Ad ie , ▁director ▁of ▁Harvard ' s ▁Blue ▁Hill ▁Meteor ological ▁Observ atory , ▁to ▁train ▁weather ▁officers ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy . ▁ ▁The ▁Navy ▁sent ▁Reich ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁course , ▁thus ▁kind ling ▁his ▁interest ▁and ▁launch ing ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁field . ▁