Interview of George A. Doumani by Brian Shoemaker
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Date
2005-11-30T15:34:37Z
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program
Abstract
Dr. Doumani received his Bachelor’s Degree in Geological Sciences from the University of California Berkeley, with a concentration on energy. He continued at Berkeley, receiving his Master’s Degree in Estratographic Paleontology. After finishing his graduate work, Dr. Doumani went on to work as an engineer and eventually found an ad in Geotimes Magazine for a position to do Antarctic work. He was hired as a geophysicist near the end of IGY (International Geophysical Year, 1957-58) and began his training in Washington, D.C. at the National Science Foundation and the Rand Corporation (to study the gyrocompass). The trip to McMurdo Station took 42 hours from Washington, D.C. Dr. Doumani recalls his interactions with several notable Antarctic explorers including Sir Hubert Wilkins, Charles White, Colin Bull, and George Dufek. He discusses his first impressions of Little America and the interactions of the men wintering over. In particular, Dr. Doumani recounts his experience traversing with Fred Darling and Bill Long. The transitional period between the IGY and the NSF Office of Polar Programs is discussed, along with the interim funding from the Arctic Institute. Dr. Doumani also describes the morale of the wintering-over party and the newly assigned duties given upon his return from a traverse. His work as a glaciologist is discussed, in particular the making of snow pits. During a traverse, Dr. Doumani and his party came across the Amundsen Sea, arguably the first party to see it from land.
Upon Dr. Doumani’s return, the formation of the Institute of Polar Studies at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, is discussed, along with the founding members including Dick Goldthwaite, Dick Cameron, Colin Bull, Bill Long and Art Mersky. Dr. Doumani went back to Antarctica for the austral summer (1960) and discusses the first use of snowmobiles on the continent, made by Four-Wheel Drive in Canada. Dr. Doumani continued to make trips back to Antarctica through the 1965 season. His work for much of that time centered around fossils found in coal beds in the Ohio and Discovery mountain ranges. These fossils led to the study of the Continental Drift Theory and Gondwana Land. Another trip found Dr. Doumani working on ancient volcanic activity and the movement of the plates around Mt. Weaver. During this survey, more fossils and a twenty-five foot coal bed were discovered. The use of helicopters in this survey is discussed, as well as other mechanized means of gathering specimens.
Dr. Doumani went on to work for the Library of Congress, helping to establish an Antarctic Bibliography through the National Science Foundation. This was eventually catalogued under the “Cold Regions Section”. It included the existing bibliography of Snow, Ice, and Permafrost, which dealt primarily with Arctic regions. Dr. Doumani was also involved in Marine Legislation, the Coastal Zone Management Pact, and the Sea Grant College Program. He worked on Science Policy and Funding/Budget in Antarctica as well. In the mid to late 1980s, Dr. Doumani was the director of the Peace Corps in Yemen, where he worked on the development of a pipeline, dedicated in 1987. After his return, he became the Director of the Office of Technology Policy for the Department of Energy. At the time of this interview, Dr. Doumani was working for the Environmental Protection Agency as a consultant on global warming and desert reclamation.
Major Topics
IGY (International Geophysical Year)
Fossil discovery in Antarctica
The use of new machinery, such as snowmobiles and helicopters, in Antarctic travel and
research
Global warming
Antarctic policy
The National Science Foundation
Antarctic research funding
The Antarctic Bibliography/ Cold Regions Section
Description
George Toney, pp. 3, 12, 23
Bill Chapman, pp. 3, 5, 21, 26
Sir Hubert Wilkins, pp. 14, 16
Charles White, pp. 15
George Dufek, pp. 16-17
Admiral Tyree, pp. 16-17, 43
Harry Wexler, pp. 17
Tom Jones, pp. 18
Bert Crary, pp. 18-19, 58, 60, 71
Ned Ostenso, pp. 18
Charlie Bentley, pp. 19, 22, 26, 36
Hal Borns, pp.20
Joe Walker, pp. 23
Emil Shophless, pp. 25
Bill Long, pp. 25-26, 32-33, 41-47, 49
Fred Darling, pp. 25-26
Jock Pirritt, pp. 26-27, 30, 33, 36
Hugh Audeshaw, pp. 29
Edward Galla, pp. 31
Frank Chang, pp. 32, 36
_______Born, pp. 39
Dick Cameron, pp. 41-42, 58-59
Dick Goldthwaite, pp. 41
Colin Bull, pp. 41
Jim Schopf, pp. 44, 46
_______Skinner, pp. 46, 56
Larry Lackey, pp. 46
Tex Minchew, pp. 46
Admiral Reedy, pp. 46-47, 49-50, 64
Captain Frank Radspinner, pp. 52-53
Captain Early, pp. 53, 57
Dee DiAngelo, pp. 53-57
Art Boucot, pp. 59-61, 63
Sir Grand de la Comb, pp. 65
John Spletz, pp. 70
Fritz Hollings, pp. 71, 73
Ray Hunt, pp. 75
President George Bush, pp. 75
Admiral Watkins, pp. 76
_______Peterson, pp. 76
The media can be accessed at the links below.
Audio Part 1: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/George_Doumani_1.mp3
Audio Part 2: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/George_Doumani_2.mp3
The media can be accessed at the links below.
Audio Part 1: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/George_Doumani_1.mp3
Audio Part 2: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/George_Doumani_2.mp3