Earl E. Hays papers

Earl Ewing Hays was born in 1918, and received his A.B. in physics from Allegheny College, and his Ph.D. in physics from Northwestern University.

Prior to joining the Institution, he taught physics at the University of Toledo from 1951-1957, worked as a physicist at the Brookhaven National Laboratory from 1948-1951, and at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory during the summers of 1953 and 1954.

Hays joined WHOI's staff in 1957 as a physicist in the acoustics program, working for Brackett Hersey. At the time, Hays was on the staff of the Engineering Physics Department of the University of Toledo and had worked for WHOI during the summer of 1956. In 1962 he was appointed Chairman of the newly formed Department of Applied Oceanography which, among other projects, was involved in the design, construction, testing and utilization of the DSRV Alvin. In 1963 he was appointed Senior Scientist, in 1967 Chairman of the Geophysics Department and in 1971, Chairman of the Ocean Engineering Department. Hays had the distinction to have served as Chairman of four scientific departments.

Hays was know for his activity as a swimmer and scuba diver. He often was called upon, with others, to check and install transducers and other instruments on ships as well as assisting the Coast Guard and the local power company in locating underwater cables. As a qualified diver he served for many years as chairman of the Institution's Diving Board. His research insterests were underwater acoustics, seismic profiling, marine geophysics, sound velocity in seawater and underwater vehicles.

Hays died on February 23, 1985 at the age of sixty-seven.

[Taken from Hays' WHOI obituary.]