1949

RC bought 160-acre ranch in Colorado to build the RC High Altitude Station.

In the years following World War II, scientists were greatly interested in cosmic ray research, the study of particles that bombard the Earth from anywhere beyond its atmosphere. Among those researching these fast-moving particles from space were Bruno Rossi and James Van Allen, both Research Corporation grantees.

During the late 1940s and early 1950s, most of the cosmic ray physics in the U.S. was conducted atop Mt. Evans, Colorado, under the auspices of the Inter-University High Altitude Laboratory, a cooperative effort of University of Chicago, Cornell, University of Denver, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University and Princeton.

In 1949, Research Corporation bought the 160-acre Doolittle Ranch to serve as living quarters for cosmic ray researchers working in the area. In June 1949, Research Corporation, the Office of Naval Research and the Atomic Energy Commission sponsored a symposium at the laboratory.

Ownership of the property was transferred to University of Denver in 1953. Today, the property houses University of Denver’s High Altitude Laboratory for research in astronomy, physiology, weather, and biochemistry. There is a 24-inch telescope in the observatory.