Columbus O'Donnell Iselin (1904–1971) was an American oceanographer. He was the director of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it i ...
from 1940 to 1950, and from 1956 to 1960. He was Professor of Physical Oceanography at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(MIT).
Early life
Columbus O'Donnell Iselin was born on September 25, 1904, in
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...
.
[Columbus O’D. Iselin: American oceanographer](_blank)
''Encyclopædia Britannica
The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
''[Roger Revelle]
Columbus O'Donnell Iselin
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, October 1976[Columbus O'Donnell Iselinm 1904--1971: A Biographical Memoir by Henry M. Stommel](_blank)
National Academy of Sciences, 1994 His great-great-great-grandfather,
Isaac Iselin, moved from
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
to the United States in 1801.
His family were long-time members of the
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...
and his uncle,
Charles Oliver Iselin
Charles Oliver Iselin (June 8, 1854 – January 1, 1932) was an American banker and yachtsman who was captain of racing yachts that won the America's Cup three times.
Early life
Iselin was the son of Adrian Georg Iselin and Eleanora O Donne ...
, competed in the
America's Cup
The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...
.
He was educated at
St. Mark's School, an Episcopal private boarding school in
Southborough, Massachusetts
Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. At th ...
, from 1917 to 1922.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1926 and a masters of arts degree in 1928 from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
,
where
Henry Bryant Bigelow
Henry Bryant Bigelow (October 3, 1879 – December 11, 1967) was an American oceanographer and marine biologist. He was a professor at Harvard University for 60 years and was the founding director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Th ...
was one of his professors.
Career
Iselin was an oceanographer.
He served as the Assistant Curator of Oceanography at Harvard University's
Museum of Comparative Zoology
The Museum of Comparative Zoology (formally the Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology and often abbreviated to MCZ) is a zoology museum located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three natural-history r ...
from 1929 to 1948.
He served as physical oceanographer at the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, it i ...
from 1932 to 1940, and as its Director from 1940 to 1950, and again from 1950 to 1956.
During his tenure, he significantly expanded the institute, at least tenfold.
Iselin taught at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
(MIT) in 1936.
He went on to teach at Harvard University, where he was assistant professor of oceanography from 1936 to 1939, Associate Professor of Physical Oceanography from 1939 to 1960, and full Professor of Physical Oceanography in 1960.
He also became full Professor of Oceanography at MIT in 1959.
Iselin was a member of the
American Geophysical Union
The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...
, the
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...
, the
American Philosophical Society
The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...
, the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
, the
Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research
The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) is an interdisciplinary body of the International Science Council. SCOR was established in 1957, coincident with the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958. It sought to bring scientists t ...
, etc.
He served on the board of trustees of the
Bermuda Biological Station for Research
The ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (known as ASU BIOS) is a non-profit marine science and education institute located in Ferry Reach, St. George's, Bermuda, St. George's, Bermuda and affiliated with the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Future ...
, the
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution that was independent ...
, and the
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...
.
He was a Fellow of the
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), originally founded as the Lyceum of Natural History in January 1817, is a nonprofit professional society based in New York City, with more than 20,000 members from 100 countries. It is the fourth-oldes ...
.
He joined the Council of the
American Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are United States, Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows f ...
in 1963.
Iselin was the recipient of the
Alexander Agassiz Medal in 1942.
He received an honorary doctorate of science from
Brown University
Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
in 1947.
Additionally, he was the recipient of the
Medal for Merit
The Medal for Merit was the highest civilian decoration of the United States in the gift of the president. Created during World War II, it was awarded by the president of the United States to civilians who "distinguished themselves by exceptiona ...
from President
Harry Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
in 1948.
Boating
Iselin was the owner of a
schooner
A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...
called Chance.
In the summertime, he sailed it off the Canadian coast of
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...
, going up to
Cape Chidley
Cape Chidley is a headland located on the eastern shore of Killiniq Island, Canada, at the northeastern tip of the Labrador Peninsula.
Cape Chidley was named by English explorer John Davis on August 1, 1587, after his friend and fellow explore ...
.
In 1926, Columbus O'Donnell Iselin led an expedition aboard the schooner "Chance" that combined maritime exploration with scientific research along the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador to Cape Chidley. The expedition collected botanical specimens, sampled plankton, and conducted hydrographic stations perpendicular to the coast. Iselin later documented the voyage and its findings in a private publication titled "The Log of the Schooner Chance."
Personal life
Iselin married Eleanor Emmet Lapsley, daughter of John Willard Lapsley and his wife Eleanor Temple Emmet, on 19 January 1929 at St. Matthew's Church, Bedford Village, New York.
They had two sons and three daughters.
Iselin died on January 5, 1971, in
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth ( ) is a New England town, town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable, Massachusetts, Barnstable. T ...
.
His funeral took place in
Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts
Vineyard Haven is a community within the town of Tisbury, Massachusetts, United States on the island of Martha's Vineyard. It is listed as a census-designated place (CDP) by the U.S. Census Bureau, with a population of 2,114 as of the 2010 Unit ...
on
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iselin, Columbus O'Donnell
1904 births
1971 deaths
Scientists from New Rochelle, New York
St. Mark's School (Massachusetts) alumni
Harvard University alumni
Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty
Harvard University faculty
American people of Swiss descent
Medal for Merit recipients
American oceanographers