Captain Don Walsh

Captain Don Walsh USN (RET), PhD was an oceanographer, explorer, and former submarine captain. A graduate of the US Naval Academy, he held graduate degrees from Texas A&M (MS and PhD) and San Diego State University (MA). His professional life had been almost entirely in the design, manufacture, and operations of undersea systems. In 1960, he was designated US Navy Submersible Pilot #1 and was also the first submersible pilot in the US. His more than a half century of contributions to undersea engineering were recognized in 2001 when he was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering. He had served as the Honorary President of the Explorers Club.

In addition to his undersea work, he had been involved with polar operations since 1955. He had made over 25 expeditions to the Arctic, including 3 to the North Pole and 27 to the Antarctic including a 74-day circumnavigation of the continent. His contributions to the US Antarctic Program were recognized in 1974 when a geographic feature, the “Walsh Spur”, was named after him.

While at Texas A&M University he organized and directed its Spacecraft Oceanography Project (SPOC).  Working with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, he was one of the first oceanographers to do ocean remote sensing.  In this capacity, he was a member of the Center’s ‘quick look’ team after the splashdowns in the early Apollo Program.

Don Walsh was president of Oregon based International Maritime Incorporated, a consulting practice that he founded in 1976. He passed away at home on November 12, 2023, shortly after his 92nd birthday.