Don Walsh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Walsh
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Walsh in 1974
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| Born | November 2, 1931 Berkeley, California, U.S.
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| Died | November 12, 2023 (aged 92) Myrtle Point, Oregon, U.S.
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| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy San Diego State University Texas A&M University |
| Known for | Trieste |
| Awards | Hubbard Medal (2010) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | United States Navy |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1954–1978 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Battles/wars | Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
  Hubbard Medal |
| Spouse(s) |
Joan Walsh
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 2 |
Don Walsh (born November 2, 1931, died November 12, 2023) was an amazing American ocean explorer. He was also a U.S. Navy officer and an expert in ocean policy. Don Walsh is famous for a daring journey he made with Jacques Piccard. On January 23, 1960, they traveled to the deepest part of the ocean. They used a special submarine called the Trieste. They reached the bottom of the Challenger Deep. This spot is about 35,813 feet (10,916 meters) deep! This was a world record for deep-sea diving.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Don Walsh was born in Berkeley, California, on November 2, 1931. He loved learning! He earned an engineering degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954. Later, he studied political science at San Diego State University. He also earned a PhD in physical oceanography from Texas A&M University. This means he became an expert in how the ocean works.
Don Walsh served in the U.S. Navy for 24 years. He was a submarine officer and a skilled Navy Diver. He spent 15 years at sea, often commanding submarines. He also helped the Navy with research and new ideas about the ocean. He retired from the Navy as a Captain.
Continuing Ocean Exploration
After his Navy career, Don Walsh became a professor. He taught Ocean Engineering at the University of Southern California. There, he started and led a special institute for studying the ocean and coasts. He also ran his own company, International Maritime Incorporated. This company worked on underwater projects. Don Walsh was always busy supporting ocean science. He served on the Ocean Sciences Board at the National Academy of Sciences. He also led about five deep-sea expeditions each year. He even visited the Chinese deep-sea submersible Jiaolong in 2010. He saw how China was working to explore the deepest parts of the ocean.
Family and Later Life
Don Walsh lived with his wife, Joan, on a ranch in Sitkum, Oregon. They had two children. He stayed involved with ocean science groups like the National Academy of Sciences. Don Walsh was there to congratulate Victor Vescovo in 2019. Victor made his own record-breaking dives to the Challenger Deep. In June 2020, Don's son, Kelly Walsh, also dived to the Challenger Deep with Victor Vescovo. This made Kelly the eleventh person to reach the ocean's deepest point. Don Walsh passed away at his home in Myrtle Point, Oregon on November 12, 2023, when he was 92 years old.
Don Walsh in Media
Don Walsh appeared on a TV game show called To Tell the Truth in 1961. This was after his famous dive in the Trieste. He also visited the famous shipwreck of the RMS Titanic in 2001. He used a submersible called MIR 2. In 2012, Don Walsh helped with the Deepsea Challenger mission. During this mission, filmmaker James Cameron made a solo dive to the bottom of the Challenger Deep. Don Walsh's life also inspired a book called No More Worlds to Conquer. The author, Chris Wright, was curious about what Don did after his amazing Trieste dive.
Awards and Recognitions
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Don Walsh received many important awards for his work.
- He was chosen by Presidents Carter and Reagan to advise the U.S. government on oceans.
- In 2001, he became a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
- Life magazine called him one of the world's greatest explorers.
- The National Geographic Society gave him their highest honor, the Hubbard Medal, in 2010.
- The U.S. Navy honored him with the Distinguished Public Service Award.
- In 2020, a new award for ocean exploration was named after him: the Captain Don Walsh Award.
- On January 10, 2025, the Secretary of the Navy announced that a new ocean surveillance ship would be named the USNS Don Walsh (T-AGOS 25) in his honor. His wife, Joan, and daughter, Liz, were named as the ship's sponsors.
See also
- List of people who descended to Challenger Deep
