Albert P. Crary | |
|---|---|
 Albert Paddock Crary in 1959 | |
| Chief Scientist for the United States Antarctic Research Program | |
| In office 1960–1968 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albert Paddock Crary (1911-07-25)July 25, 1911 Pierrepont, New York, United States |
| Died | October 29, 1987(1987-10-29) (aged 76) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Resting place | Pierrepont Hill Cemetery, Pierrepont, New York |
| Spouse | Mildred R. Rodgers |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Oringe Smith Crary (great-great-great-uncle) Scott Crary (cousin) |
| Education | St. Lawrence University Lehigh University |
| Known for | Polar exploration |
| Awards | Cullum Geographical Medal(1959) Patron's Medal(1963) Vega Medal(1972) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geophysics,Glaciology |
Albert Paddock Crary (July 25, 1911 – October 29, 1987), was an American pioneer polargeophysicist andglaciologist.[1] He was the first person to have set foot on both the North and South Poles, having made it to theNorth Pole on May 3, 1952 (withJoseph O. Fletcher andWilliam P. Benedict) and then to theSouth Pole on February 12, 1961, as the leader of a team of eight.[2] The South Pole expedition set out fromMcMurdo Station on December 10, 1960, using threeSnowcats with trailers. Crary was the seventh expedition leader to arrive at the South Pole by surface transportation (the six others before him were—in sequence—Amundsen,Scott,Hillary,Fuchs, a Russian expedition in 1959–60 fromVostok base, and Antero Havola).[3] He was widely admired for his intellect, wit, skills and as a great administrator for polar research expeditions.[4]
Crary was born in 1911 into a farming family in northern New York State. He was the second oldest in a family of 7 children. He was a physics major and geology student atSt. Lawrence University inCanton, New York. He graduated in 1931Phi Beta Kappa fromSt. Lawrence University and then enrolled atLehigh University to obtain a master's degree in physics. After spending years completing and facilitating research at both poles, Crary eventually settled inBethesda, Maryland, with his wife and son.[1]
His awards included theCullum Geographical Medal (1959), thePatron's Medal (1963), and theVega Medal (1972).[1]
He died on October 29, 1987, at theGeorge Washington University Hospital inWashington, D.C.[1]
In 1991, theNational Science Foundation (NSF), which manages theU.S. Antarctic Program (USAP), honoured his memory by dedicating a state-of-the-art laboratory complex in his name, theAlbert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (CSEC) located inMcMurdo Station. He was also honored by having theCrary Mountains (76 degrees 48' S, 117 degrees 40' W) and theCrary Ice Rise in Antarctica named for him as well.[5]
Dr. Crary contributed in a variety of important ways to his field including:
He worked with many notable scientists and famous institutions:
