William George Van Dorn

Born in Chicago (1920), Dr. William G. Van Dorn grew up in Pasadena, attended Stanford University (BSME 1942) and commenced graduate work at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1947, where he remained for forty years, retiring as Research Professor, Oceanography, and Chairman of Phys. Oceanography Research division in 1987.

Dr. Van Doprn began his lifelong study of study of tsunamis in 1952, when Scripps became involved in the U.S. nuclear testing program in the South Pacific, which continued through 1962. He can now say he has Skied 50 years, surfed 50 years, dived 50 years, and seen more H-bombs detonated than any man alive. Dr. Van Dorn is the author of four totally different published books.

1. Oceanography and Seamanship,(1974, 1993), a book about the ocean as an operating environment for boats and ships; total sales now in excess of 40,000 volumes.

2. Papers in Physical Oceanography, 1992; privately published and distributed to 100 government and university libraries.

3. Ivy-Mike the first Hydrogen Bomb, (2008). An accurate historical account of the concept design, development and testing of the world's first thermonuclear device.(10-million tons of TNT). Not everyman's book, it is slowly increasing in sales.

4. Capsize, a novel based on a true marine disaster (2011). After studying the storm-related, capsize of a chartered diving trawler, from which there were only two survivors, I wrote a similar novel, allowing six survivors, who are eventualy rescued after many adventures.