On Feb. 16, famous oceanographer Robert D. Ballard gave a lecture to Elizabethtown College and community members as part of the Evenings of Enlightenment.
Ballard is an ocean explorer, best known for discovering underwater archeology, such as the R.M.S. Titanic and the Bismarck.
He began the discussion by talking about his passion for the ocean that developed when he was a young child living in Kansas. After his family moved to San Diego, Ca., Ballard said that his playpen was right outside–the Pacific Ocean.
When he was 12, Ballard was first exposed to Disney’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” This movie changed his life and served as one of the main motivations behind his career aspirations, as exemplified when he named one of his ships the Nautilus.
“Shortly after seeing that movie, my parents had questioned, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And I said, ‘I want to be Captain Nemo.’ And they didn’t laugh at my dream. You should never laugh at a child’s dream,” Ballard said.
This advice is linked to Ballard’s experience living with dyslexia–which remained undiagnosed until he was 62. Although he continuously struggled with reading and coding/decoding, it allowed him to realize that his disability served as a gift that highlighted his other talents, especially those in the field of science.
“My whole career was really driven by my dyslexia. My success was driven by dyslexia,” Ballard stated.
The oceanographer then talked about his college education beginning at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which then carried him into graduate school. However, his pursuit of a Ph.D. was interrupted by a call to active duty in the Navy. While in the military, he mainly worked in submarines, and this experience further prompted his passion for oceanic exploration.
From there, Ballard spent years exploring the sea and then working as a professor. However, he knew that his heart belonged to oceanic discoveries, so he once again sought out the military and was assigned the then classified task of uncovering the USS Scorpion: a submarine that had carried nuclear weapons. But this required a cover, so Ballard and his team suggested telling the world they were going after the Titanic. The military agreed but advised him, “Don’t find it, just go after it.”
“They were really ticked off when I found it,” Ballard joked. “I got a call… [that said] ‘Commander Ballard, you were supposed to look for the Titanic, not find it.’”
This discovery set off a chain reaction for Ballard; he soon found the German Battleship Bismarck and the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.
At the end of the lecture, Ballard discussed his more recent work. Currently, he is serving as a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He is also the president and founder of the Ocean Exploration Trust, a non-profit organization that works toward the continuation of ocean exploration. The team teaches in classrooms, has 24/7 broadcasts and even offers internships that focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) in order to educate younger generations on the importance of oceanic work.
“I have every pronoun, and I have every face of our nation on the team because I want the young people in the audience to find their face 20 years out,” Ballard said.
Sophomore Alex Lynch did not attend any previous lectures. However, he decided to come to the event due to Ballard’s impressive accomplishments.
“I attended because I thought the speaker’s background was interesting. I have always been fascinated by documentaries about exploring the sea, so I knew I would not want to miss this,” Lynch said.
In addition, Lynch encourages more students to attend the lectures, as they serve as a great educational experience that differs from what one can learn in the classroom.
“Overall, I would say it was a positive experience. I learned a lot, and I was happy to have someone so notable come to our campus,” Lynch said.
The next lecture in the series will be held on March 30 at Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square, featuring best-selling author Jim Collins.
