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1956: WHOI’s Next Chapter

In 1956 Columbus Iselin (right) signed on for a second tour of duty as WHOI’s director, succeeding Edward Smith (left). Iselin came to WHOI to captain the first R/V Atlantis and was chief scientist collecting physical oceanography data on trans-Atlantic cruises. He is considered largely responsible for the Institution’s operational strength at sea, its early leadership in physical oceanography, its wartime management, and its survival through the post-WW II years.(Photo courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Archives)