AURA and its US National Observatories

　　A new source of funding for astronomy stemmed from the creation of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1950. Astronomers were quick to take advantage of the opportunities this provided to found new observatories. The science and politics of the establishment, funding, construction and operation of the Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) are here seen from the unique perspective of Frank K. Edmondson, a former member of the AURA board of directors. AURA was asked to manage the Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO) in 1976, and in 1983 the National Solar Observatory (NSO) was formed by merging the SPO and the KPNO solar programs. In 1981 NASA chose AURA to establish and operate the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). This is a personal account of a period of major innovation in American optical astronomy.
　　? Unique, based on author's personal participation from 1956 to the present ? Oral histories were contributed by 85 individuals, 32 of whom are no longer living ? Important archival material came from the files of 23 institutions and 26 individuals

Part I. The Beginning
Part II. AURA is Created
Part III. New Directions for AURA
Part IV. Cerro Tololo's Neighbours
Part V. Epilogue.