Jim Giles (meteorologist)
Encyclopedia
Jim Giles was a longtime television
meteorologist with KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
.
, he served as a weather commander at Nha Trang
weather station in Vietnam
. Giles also served at the Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City. It was during those years that development began on Doppler weather radar. After stints of teaching weather science at high schools, including Oliver W. Holmes High School in San Antonio,
Giles joined KOTV in 1981 as Chief Meteorologist.
On December 20, 2006 Giles died after battling a series of health problems. In the days following his passing, local news stations across northeastern Oklahoma paid tribute to Giles, reflecting on his contributions to severe weather forecasting and the culture of northeastern Oklahoma. Among those who paid tribute to Giles were personalities on competing stations such as KTUL and KJRH, as well as past and present colleagues at KOTV.
Giles' wife, Hannah, continues to maintain the partnership her late husband founded with Bennett Steel, Inc. to sell Jim Giles Safe Rooms, which are designed to withstand an F5 tornado.
In 2007, Giles was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The same year, the University of Oklahoma, Giles' alma mater, named a classroom after Giles. Also in 2007, a small park area on Rhema Bible Church's property was dedicated to him.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
meteorologist with KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
.
Career
Giles began his career in 1961. While on duty with the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, he served as a weather commander at Nha Trang
Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the North by Ninh Hoà district, on the East by the South China Sea, on the South by Cam Ranh town and on the West by Diên Khánh district...
weather station in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. Giles also served at the Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City. It was during those years that development began on Doppler weather radar. After stints of teaching weather science at high schools, including Oliver W. Holmes High School in San Antonio,
Giles joined KOTV in 1981 as Chief Meteorologist.
Giles' Coats for Kids
Since 1986, Giles spearheaded the Giles' Coats For Kids Campaign, which provided warm winter coats for Oklahomans who would otherwise do without. Over 200,000 coats have been donated to date.Later life
In November 2006, Giles retired from KOTV after 25 years. In his final interview, Giles said he wanted to be remembered for "just doing a good job."On December 20, 2006 Giles died after battling a series of health problems. In the days following his passing, local news stations across northeastern Oklahoma paid tribute to Giles, reflecting on his contributions to severe weather forecasting and the culture of northeastern Oklahoma. Among those who paid tribute to Giles were personalities on competing stations such as KTUL and KJRH, as well as past and present colleagues at KOTV.
Legacy
The Giles Coats for Kids program continues, with thousands of coats being donated each year.Giles' wife, Hannah, continues to maintain the partnership her late husband founded with Bennett Steel, Inc. to sell Jim Giles Safe Rooms, which are designed to withstand an F5 tornado.
In 2007, Giles was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The same year, the University of Oklahoma, Giles' alma mater, named a classroom after Giles. Also in 2007, a small park area on Rhema Bible Church's property was dedicated to him.