Person of the Month - September 2009

Dr. Robert Ballard

Dr. Ballard is the world renowned oceanographer and explorer that discovered, amongst others, the wreck of the Titanic, this day in 1985.

We’ve named him the person of the month for all his incredible past work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, using cutting edge technology to discover history’s missing ships and for his unrivaled academic work and continued exploration of the Earth's oceans and seas.

Bob Ballard’s illustrious career began in the 1960’s when he finished University with graduate degrees in geophysics and marine geology. He entered the ROTC program, rising from second lieutenant to Naval Commander before his honorable discharge in 2004 for reaching the statutory age limit.

He’s been with The Woods Hole Institute since the 1970’s pioneering and innovating marine exploration and technology.

He is credited with the greatest marine discovery of all time. The Titanic. Arguably, the world’s most well known vessel lost at sea, it’s discovery made world headlines, history and cemented his place in the pantheon of great and successful explorers.

Ballard’s team had been commissioned by the Navy to locate two sunken submarines. They did and in the process learned valuable lessons from their recovery. The team used this knowledge to locate the Titanic.

They finally achieved this on September 1, 1985, when the team located a debris field and followed it to the hull of the ship.

Ballard is also credited with the discovery of:

The USS Yorktown
The Bismarck
The Lusitania
And ** drumroll** John F. Kennedy’s lost WWII PT 109 boat.

Dr. Ballard has also pioneered sonar and undersea exploration of the Black Sea, discovering many wrecks previously unknown, leading to new theories in the historical trades of earlier peoples in that area. His contributions to the undersea archeology in this previously unexplored region is unparalleled.

We wish him the best of luck on all his future endeavors.