Paul Allen Siple
Encyclopedia
Paul Allman Siple was an American
Antarctic
explorer and geographer
who took part in six Antarctic expeditions, including the two Byrd expeditions of 1928–1930 and 1933–1935, representing the Boy Scouts of America
as an Eagle Scout
. Siple was also a Sea Scout. His first and third books covered these adventures. With Charles F. Passel he developed the wind chill
factor, and Siple coined the term.
on December 18, 1908 to Clyde Lavonius Siple and Fannie Hope Allman. His family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania
, where he graduated from Central High School in 1926. He became an Eagle Scout in 1923 with 59 merit badges. After an extensive nationwide search in 1928, he was the first Eagle Scout selected for an Antarctic expedition. He became a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho
fraternity while attending Allegheny College
, in Meadville, Pennsylvania
. He married Ruth Ida Johannesmeyer on December 19, 1936.
He also attended Clark University
in Worcester, Massachusetts
, from which he received a Ph.D. in 1939. His dissertation was on "Adaptations of the Explorer to the Climate of Antarctic". He worked in the Army Scientific Office for most of his career.
Siple was involved with the United States Antarctic Service Expedition of 1939–1941, which would have been the third Byrd expedition. He served during Operation Highjump
, (also known as the United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program 1946–1947), developed cold weather gear for the Korean War
, and Operation Deep Freeze I
in 1955-1956. He was the inaugural scientific leader at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
1956–1957, during the International Geophysical Year
. This activity is covered in his fourth book.
From 1963–1966 he served as the first U.S. science attaché
to Australia
and New Zealand
where he had a stroke in 1966 and returned to the United States.
He died on November 25, 1968 at the Army Research Center in Arlington, Virginia.
, Siple Island
, Mount Siple
, Siple Ridge
and Siple Station
were named in his honor.
from the BSA in 1947 and the Order of the Arrow
National Distinguished Service Award in 1958. He received the Hubbard Medal
from the National Geographic Society
in 1958.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
explorer and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
who took part in six Antarctic expeditions, including the two Byrd expeditions of 1928–1930 and 1933–1935, representing the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
as an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
. Siple was also a Sea Scout. His first and third books covered these adventures. With Charles F. Passel he developed the wind chill
Wind chill
Wind chill is the felt air temperature on exposed skin due to wind. The wind chill temperature is always lower than the air temperature, and the windchill is undefined at the higher temps...
factor, and Siple coined the term.
Biography
Siple was born in Montpelier, OhioMontpelier, Ohio
Montpelier is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,320 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Montpelier is located at ....
on December 18, 1908 to Clyde Lavonius Siple and Fannie Hope Allman. His family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
, where he graduated from Central High School in 1926. He became an Eagle Scout in 1923 with 59 merit badges. After an extensive nationwide search in 1928, he was the first Eagle Scout selected for an Antarctic expedition. He became a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. It is a charter member of the North-American...
fraternity while attending Allegheny College
Allegheny College
Allegheny College is a private liberal arts college located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the town of Meadville. Founded in 1815, the college has about 2,100 undergraduate students.-Early history:...
, in Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
. He married Ruth Ida Johannesmeyer on December 19, 1936.
He also attended Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, from which he received a Ph.D. in 1939. His dissertation was on "Adaptations of the Explorer to the Climate of Antarctic". He worked in the Army Scientific Office for most of his career.
Siple was involved with the United States Antarctic Service Expedition of 1939–1941, which would have been the third Byrd expedition. He served during Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump
Operation Highjump , officially titled The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946-1947, was a United States Navy operation organized by RADM Richard E. Byrd Jr. USN, , Officer in Charge, Task Force 68, and led by RADM Richard H. Cruzen, USN, Commanding Officer, Task Force 68....
, (also known as the United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program 1946–1947), developed cold weather gear for the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, and Operation Deep Freeze I
Operation Deep Freeze
Operation Deep Freeze is the codename for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with "Operation Deep Freeze I" in 1955–56, followed by "Operation Deep Freeze II", "Operation Deep Freeze III", and so on...
in 1955-1956. He was the inaugural scientific leader at the U.S. Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the American scientific research station on the high plateau of Antarctica. This station is located at the southernmost place on the Earth, the Geographic South Pole, at an elevation of 2,835 meters above sea level.The original Amundsen-Scott Station was...
1956–1957, during the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
. This activity is covered in his fourth book.
From 1963–1966 he served as the first U.S. science attaché
Science attaché
A science attaché is a member of a diplomatic mission, usually an embassy...
to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
where he had a stroke in 1966 and returned to the United States.
He died on November 25, 1968 at the Army Research Center in Arlington, Virginia.
Legacy
Antarctic features Siple CoastSiple Coast
Siple Coast is the middle portion of the relatively ill-defined coast along the east side of the Ross Ice Shelf, between the north end of Gould Coast and the south end of Shirase Coast . The area was originally called Kirton Coast, but was renamed by NZ-APC in 1961 after Paul A. Siple, a noted...
, Siple Island
Siple Island
Siple Island is a long snow-covered island lying east of Wrigley Gulf along the Getz Ice Shelf off Bakutis Coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica...
, Mount Siple
Mount Siple
Mount Siple is a potentially active shield volcano, rising to and dominating the northwest part of Siple Island, which is separated from the Bakutis Coast, Marie Byrd Land, by the Getz Ice Shelf. Its youthful appearance strongly suggests that it last erupted in Holocene. It is capped by a summit...
, Siple Ridge
Siple Ridge
Siple Ridge is a high ridge, 3 nautical miles long and 0.5 nautical miles wide, being the more northern of two ridges that extend west from the Mount Feather block, in the Quartermain Mountains, Victoria Land. The narrow upper surface is capped by ice but rock is exposed at many points along...
and Siple Station
Siple Station
Siple Station, Antarctica was a research station in Antarctica , established in 1973 by Stanford's STAR Lab, to perform experiments that actively probed the magnetosphere using very low frequency waves...
were named in his honor.
Honors
Siple received the Silver Buffalo AwardSilver Buffalo Award
The Silver Buffalo Award is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. It is presented for noteworthy and extraordinary service to youth on a national basis, either as part of, or independent of the Scouting program...
from the BSA in 1947 and the Order of the Arrow
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...
National Distinguished Service Award in 1958. He received the Hubbard Medal
Hubbard Medal
The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. The medal is named for Gardiner Greene Hubbard, first National Geographic Society president.-Recipients:...
from the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
in 1958.
Works
- A Boy Scout With Byrd (1931)
- Exploring at Home (1932)
- Scout to Explorer: Back with Byrd in the Antarctic (1936)
- 90 Degrees South (1959)
External links
- Paul Siple on cover of Time magazine
- Paul Siple
- Paul Siple bio
- The Big Picture: The U.S. Army and the Boy Scouts Film: featuring footage of Paul Siple.