submersible). He was observing the sea floor along the Rekjanes Ridge south of
the Azores on his last day of life.
I have a particular debt of gratitude to Bruce Heezen for drawing me a sketch
map of the Indian Ocean that I published in my first scientific paper. He was also
the person who encouraged me to publish one of my earliest papers in marine
geology entitled: Rocks from the Mid-Oceanic Ridge in the Indian Ocean.
Charles Fray also called Chuck, is a marine geologist whom I particularly
admired and I would like to remember him because of his humanity and his
capacity for handling difficult situations at sea. He was a very good chief scientist
and was extremely appreciated by all the crew and scientific groups on board.
Chuck was my direct adviser while I was working in the core laboratory at LDO,
with Roy Capo. Roy was a geologist and the meticulous curator of the ‘‘core Lab’’;
his responsibility was cataloging the drill cores and rock samples which had been
collected since the early 1950s but which were scattered in the different buildings
of Lamont.
I had the privilege of sailing with Chuck Fray while he was chief scientist
during one of my first legs on board the R.V. R.D. Conrad. This was my first cruise
on an oceanographic vessel. At that time, Chuck was one of the few chief scientists
from Lamont who used to take time for sharing and discussing what the cruise
objectives were with the crew as well as with the scientists. One day Chuck told
me: ‘‘Roger, if you want to have a successful cruise you need the crew and the
technicians on your side. They are doing the most difficult work.’’ This piece of
advice still rings a bell up to now, and every time I’ve gone to sea, my first task has
always been to give everyone the feeling that we are all on the same team, doing
team work, and that it is in everybody’s interest that everything goes as well as
possible.
I regarded Chuck as one of the best chief scientists that I have ever worked with
and from whom I have learned a great deal. Another person who was very close to
me soon after he became responsible for the core laboratory (in 1965) was Roy
Capo. Later on, he was my best man when I married Ginny. I want to remember Roy
for his kindness and helpful advice during my early years as a marine geologist.
In 1962 when I arrived at work at Lamont-Doherty, I was a European man who
was tossed into the American way of life. Having immigrated to the USA after
obtaining a ‘‘Doctorate’’ (masters degree) in Geology from the University of Pisa,
Italy, I applied for a position at Lamont-Doherty, but was only given a job as a
student assistant on the RV Conrad. Being on board and having a chance to
associate with men such as Chuck, Roy and Joe Worzel has helped shaped my
attitude towards deep-sea research from the very beginning.
The atmosphere on board the Lamont research vessels was fast-paced and
intense. Our goal was to gather data as quickly as possible. At that time, all the
information gathered on board was immediately forwarded to Doc Ewing by telex,
and during each port of call, a package of data was mailed or carried back to
Lamont for study. Sometimes Doc would join the ship to make sure everything
was going the way he expected, and then he himself would carry the new data or
samples back to the Observatory.
Ocean Explorers and Pioneers in Oceanography
5
the Azores on his last day of life.
I have a particular debt of gratitude to Bruce Heezen for drawing me a sketch
map of the Indian Ocean that I published in my first scientific paper. He was also
the person who encouraged me to publish one of my earliest papers in marine
geology entitled: Rocks from the Mid-Oceanic Ridge in the Indian Ocean.
Charles Fray also called Chuck, is a marine geologist whom I particularly
admired and I would like to remember him because of his humanity and his
capacity for handling difficult situations at sea. He was a very good chief scientist
and was extremely appreciated by all the crew and scientific groups on board.
Chuck was my direct adviser while I was working in the core laboratory at LDO,
with Roy Capo. Roy was a geologist and the meticulous curator of the ‘‘core Lab’’;
his responsibility was cataloging the drill cores and rock samples which had been
collected since the early 1950s but which were scattered in the different buildings
of Lamont.
I had the privilege of sailing with Chuck Fray while he was chief scientist
during one of my first legs on board the R.V. R.D. Conrad. This was my first cruise
on an oceanographic vessel. At that time, Chuck was one of the few chief scientists
from Lamont who used to take time for sharing and discussing what the cruise
objectives were with the crew as well as with the scientists. One day Chuck told
me: ‘‘Roger, if you want to have a successful cruise you need the crew and the
technicians on your side. They are doing the most difficult work.’’ This piece of
advice still rings a bell up to now, and every time I’ve gone to sea, my first task has
always been to give everyone the feeling that we are all on the same team, doing
team work, and that it is in everybody’s interest that everything goes as well as
possible.
I regarded Chuck as one of the best chief scientists that I have ever worked with
and from whom I have learned a great deal. Another person who was very close to
me soon after he became responsible for the core laboratory (in 1965) was Roy
Capo. Later on, he was my best man when I married Ginny. I want to remember Roy
for his kindness and helpful advice during my early years as a marine geologist.
In 1962 when I arrived at work at Lamont-Doherty, I was a European man who
was tossed into the American way of life. Having immigrated to the USA after
obtaining a ‘‘Doctorate’’ (masters degree) in Geology from the University of Pisa,
Italy, I applied for a position at Lamont-Doherty, but was only given a job as a
student assistant on the RV Conrad. Being on board and having a chance to
associate with men such as Chuck, Roy and Joe Worzel has helped shaped my
attitude towards deep-sea research from the very beginning.
The atmosphere on board the Lamont research vessels was fast-paced and
intense. Our goal was to gather data as quickly as possible. At that time, all the
information gathered on board was immediately forwarded to Doc Ewing by telex,
and during each port of call, a package of data was mailed or carried back to
Lamont for study. Sometimes Doc would join the ship to make sure everything
was going the way he expected, and then he himself would carry the new data or
samples back to the Observatory.
Ocean Explorers and Pioneers in Oceanography
5