| Don Walsh | |
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 Lt. Don Walsh, USN (left) and Jacques Piccard (centre) in the bathyscaphe Trieste
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| Born | November 2, 1931 Berkeley, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | bathyscaphe |
Don Walsh (born November 2, 1931) is an American oceanographer, explorer and marine policy specialist. He and Jacques Piccard were aboard the bathyscaphe Trieste when it made a record-breaking descent into the Mariana Trench in 23 January 1960, the deepest point in the world's oceans. The depth was measured at 35,813 feet (10,916 m), but later and more accurate measurements have put it at 35,798 feet (10,911 m).
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Biography
Dr. Walsh has been associated with ocean science, engineering, and marine policy for over 30 years. He became a United States Navy commissioned officer after graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1954. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and held the rank of captain at the time of his retirement. He spent 15 years at sea, mostly in submarines, and was the commanding officer of a submarine. In addition, he worked in ocean-related research and development for the U.S. Navy. A former Dean of Marine Programs and Professor of Ocean Engineering at the University of Southern California, Dr. Walsh founded and directed the university's Institute for Marine and Coastal Studies. In 1989, his company, International Maritime Incorporated, formed a joint venture with the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology to establish an underwater maintenance company, Soyuz Marine Service, which continues to operate in the Russian Federation.
Honors
Dr. Walsh has a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master's degree in Political Science from San Diego State University, and a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from Texas A&M University. He was appointed by Presidents Carter and Reagan to the U.S. National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere, was a member of the Law of the Sea Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of State, and served as a member of the Marine Board of the U.S. National Research Council from 1990 to 1993.
Dr. Walsh was named one of the world's great explorers by Life magazine. On the submersible MIR Submersible, he dove on the Titanic, German battleship Bismarck, and Mid-Atlantic Ridge. He has spent more than five decades traveling the world conducting research in, on, and around the oceans.
References
- WALSH, Don International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
- Deepest ocean dive into the Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean on January 23, 1960
- Making Ocean Policy: The Politics of Government Organization and Management (Dec 1982)
- The Law of the Sea: Issues in Ocean Resource Management (Jan 1979)
- Ocean Careers Bio
- [1]The Explorers Club, Northern Calif. Chapter newsletter, June 2008 (PDF)
External links
- Don Walsh profile from deepoceanexpeditions.com
- Official press release regarding Challenger Deep operation.
- Artic Expedition 2005 Oceanographer (Students on Ice)
- U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings (magazine)
- Jun 2001 Oceans: Over the Top: Sailing the Northeast Passage Commentary by Don Walsh
- Jan 2005 Oceans: The Plastic Ocean Column by Don Walsh
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