Queen Elizabeth II being greeted by Director Nierenberg Generations of Americans have discovered the ocean realm through the exhibits and educational programs of Scripps Aquarium-Museum during the institution's 80-year history. Our beginnings were modest, but through the support of local commun­ ity members and the energy and creativity of dedicated staff and volunteers, the aquarium's programs have grown. As many as 300,000 people visit our aquarium each year. More than a million students have viewed the aquarium on special school field trips. Thousands more have enjoyed formal courses that give an understanding and appreciation of the diversity and inter­ relationships of marine life. Within the aquarium's museum, visitors explore the techniques and discoveries of oceanographic research conducted at Scripps Institution. Here, visitors can see, as did Queen Elizabeth II during her February 1983 visit, the rare coelacanth, a "living fossil" fish. The Scripps Aquarium-Museum has been an invaluable window to the world of oceanographic science for more than three-quarters of a cen­ tury. Its distinguished record of public service has earned the respect and affection of many throughout the world. It is our hope that the future will bring an expanded program in a new aquarium facility, with opportunities for even greater service. !~ber~r:ctA Scripps Institution of Oceanography Scripps Institution of Oceanography 1916 On September 26, 1903, a group Resources were scarce. The The first permanent building at the of 34 San Diegans assembled at the annual budget of the institution was new site on the "long beach" north Chamber of Commerce and formed only $4,500 when Dr. William E. of La Jolla was constructed in 1910 the Marine Biological Association of Ritter, a professor of zoology at the with funds provided by Ellen B. San Diego, establishing what would University of California at Berkeley, Scripps, and was named "George H. become Scripps Institution of became director of the fledgling Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Oceanography. operation in 1903. Although E. W. Laboratory," in honor of her brother. Among the founders were such Scripps wanted a large public It housed the entire research pro­ prominent citizens as Fred Baker, a aquarium, Ritter felt it was more gram and included a public knowledgeable amateur marine biol­ important to get the scientific aquarium in the southwest corner of ogist, and Ellen Browning Scripps research under way with the limited the first floor. Museum space was and her half-brother E. W. Scripps, funds available. in the lecture hall on the second floor. (Th is building has recently whose considerable fortunes In 1905, the researchers left their derived from newspaper enterprises. been restored and designated a temporary laboratory in the Hotel del United States historical landmark.) Along with their desire to establish Coronado boathouse for their new a biological research institution, the home at the La Jolla Cove. The "lit­ In 1912, the association turned members of the association felt a tle green laboratory at the Cove," as over the assets of the institution to deep commitment to communicating La Jollans referred to the wooden the University of California, which scientific findings to the general research building, was constructed named its southernmost outpost public. This commitment was with funds from the La Jolla "Scripps Institution for Biological expressed in their bylaws: Improvement Society. Research." The name was changed in 1925 to "Scripps Institution of "The general purpose of the A few shelves were set aside for a institution shall be to carry out Oceanography" to better reflect the museum display, and a central scope of its operations. a biological and hydrographic counter held containers of live survey of the waters of the specimens for the enjoyment of visi­ Pacific Ocean adjacent to the tors. Equipment for these displays coast of Southern California; was provided through cash dona­ to build and maintain a public tions from several businesses and aquarium and museum; and to individuals, including Ellen Scripps's prosecute such other kindred sister, Virginia, who commented that undertakings as the Board of she was "more interested in this Trustees may from time to than the scientific side." time deem it wise to enter After two years, the association upon." purchased, at the insistence of E. W. Scripps, 174 acres of barren La Jolla Shores property at public auc­ tion from the city of San Diego for $1,000. E. W. Scripps had grand ideas for enlarging the research institution to include a "college of biological research," botanical gar­ dens, a museum of natural history, and a zoo! 2 Through funds provided by Ellen Browning Scripps, the first permanent building at the present site of Scripps Institution of Oceanography was constructed in 1910. The Scripps campus in 1916, from left to right, the Library-Museum, Scripps laboratory, seawater tower and aquarium. Only the laboratory remains. Today the George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory is an historical landmark. The museum displayed oceanographic equipment and what, for most visitors, must have seemed to be marine "oddities," row upon row in the glass cases. From 1915 until 1950 the museum occupied the ground floor of the Library-Museum. Photo c. 1933. 3 The wooden aquarium building, constructed in 1915, contained 19 tanks and many enthusiastic visitors. Photos c. 1949. The first building devoted solely His successor, Sam Hinton, to an aquarium was erected in 1915 translated Barnhart's dream into a on the north side of the laboratory. reality of steel and concrete as he The 24x48-foot wooden structure helped design and plan the present contained 19 tanks, ranging in size three-story building. The new from 96 to 228 gallons. From 1915 aquarium-museum was completed in to 1950, the museum was housed 1950 and dedicated, in 1951 , toT. on the ground floor of the Library­ Wayland Vaughan, the second Museum building east of the director of Scripps (1924-1936). aquarium. Hinton was curator, illustrator and Percy S. Barnhart became the first fisherman for the new aquarium. In curator of the aquarium and 1952, Carr Tuthill joined the staff to museum in 1914. The emphasis at become the first museum preparator that time was on local marine and, later to take charge of all animals, most of which he collected aquarium exhibits. by fishing or trapping from the In 1965 Donald W. Wilkie became Scripps Pier. He offered a biological director of the aquarium-museum. specimen supply service to He introduced an improved seawa­ researchers at Scripps and at other ter delivery and filtration system, institutions, a service which is still and began a research program for provided by the aquarium. studies of fish diseases. The In the museum, across the street, longevity and vitality of the speci­ he created special displays of fishes mens significantly improved and as skin mounts and plaster casts, gained the Scripps Aquarium a painted in natural colors. His book, reputation for excellence in the Marine Fishes of Southern Califor­ maintenance of marine creatures nia, was a standard reference for and in techniques for collecting many years. specimens. Several sizes of illuminated tanks, Barnhart yearned for a new ranging up to 2,000 gallons, offer structure with well-lighted tanks that the visitor a colorful array of would form a ring around a central creatures. In recent years Wilkie museum. But the plans had to be and curator Charles J. Farwell, who delayed until after World War II and, joined the staff in 1969, have esta­ unfortunately, after Barnhart's retire­ blished Sea of Cortez exhibits as a ment in 1946. regular feature. Animals are now placed in natural habitat groupings to improve their adjustment to aquarium life and to make the exhi­ bits more instructive and appealing 4 for the visitor. Barnhart yearned for a new large structure composed of well-lighted tanks forming a ring around a central museum. The new building was completed in 1950. Percy S. Barnhart curator from 1914 to 1946. Photo c. 1927. The T. Wayland Vaughan Aquarium-Museum just completed and freshly landscaped in 1950. The newly plantedjunipers, now .30 years old, have grown to reach the aquarium's roofline. Scripps Aquarium is the Summer courses for school chil­ institution's door to the public. In dren, a career-experience course for 1950, while the present building high school students, and in-service training for teachers give depth to was under construction, 50,000 visi­ tors filed through the old wooden the aquarium's education programs. aquarium. Within the first month The very popular Junior Oceanogra­ after the new building opened, visi­ phers Corps (JOC), which Hinton tors from all 48 states and from started some 25 years ago, is very Hawaii, Alaska and the nation's cap­ active and now serves the children ital had signed the visitor register. and grandchildren of previous JOGs. Since then annual attendance has The outdoor tidepool just opposite reached a record 400,000, including the aquarium's main entrance was 60,000 students on educational field dedicated in the spring of 1975. trips. This popular display, funded by a Wilkie has emphasized the educa­ major private donation, duplicates tional role of the aquarium-museum. the natural tidepool habitat as Soon after his arrival, he organized closely as possible, so much so that a field-trip program and a corps of itinerant birds sometimes drop in to docents, who direct school groups do some fishing. Tidepool rocks on tours and perform many other were formed by pouring concrete important serv.ices for the aquarium into latex molds taken from natural and museum. Much of the financial rock formations on the Scripps support for these programs comes beach, under the direction of from the California Sea Grant Col­ landscape artist Julian George of lege Program.