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INTERVIEW ROBERT BALLARD and ? shing” rather than academic and professional projects. rusty old boat, because you’re a good scientist and now they’re

Second is mentoring the next generation, which led to Ballard only going to remember you for ? nding that boat.” hiring a team to help manage his activities across his military, Mentoring has, and continues to be vitally important to Ballard, academic, popular science and business endeavors. The third a lesson learned at an early age. As a boy growing up in South- piece of advice has been a bit more dif? cult for Ballard to en- ern California, he had the opportunity to meet Scripps Ocean- act, as he said with a laugh: “The third thing is the one I’m hav- ography Director Roger Revelle who is widely regarded for not ing a little dif? culty with: ‘The next time a big project comes only establishing the institution as an internationally prominent along, say no!’ I’ve never said no. So I’m struggling with that science center, but for solidifying the decades-long relationship one, and you’ll have to check back in and see how I do it.” between Scripps Oceanography and the U.S. Navy. Revelle served as an oceanographer for the U.S. Navy during World War

Mentors & Mentoring II and was instrumental in the founding of the Of? ce of Naval

Ballard counts his mom – who recently passed away at the age Research. Revelle worked at Scripps Oceanography before and of 98, having cared for his handicapped sister her entire adult life after the war and served as its director from 1950 to 1964. – as his most in? uential mentor in his life. “I had a tough time; it “When I met with Roger Revelle, he said oceanography is was not easy to get where I got, and she was always the person not something you take in undergraduate, that’s a graduate that picked me up when I fell down.” She was also the one who program,” said Ballard. “He said ‘you really need to ground would help keep Ballard solidly grounded. Upon watching all of yourself in a basic science ? rst.” the international media hoopla surrounding his discovery of the Taking his advice to the extreme, Ballard enrolled at UC

Titanic, she congratulated him but said: “Too bad you found that Santa Barbara with quadruple major in chemistry and geology,

Photographer Emory Kristof and I proudly hold the National

Geographic Society flag aloft as we celebrate the discovery of Titanic in September 1985.

WHOI, Mosaic/Ballard Family

Mosaics of the Titanic deck in 1985 (black and white) and 2004 reveal damage over those 19 years. The crow’s nest on the mast, near the bow, disappeared. The aft funnel (color) suffered significant damage. Some say time caused the damage, but I blame the numerous submersible dives since 1986, carelessly banging into the ship. Visitors are literally loving Titanic to death.

Hanumant Singh, WHOI, and IFE/IAO Emory Kristof/National Geographic Image Collection 38 May/June 2021

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