Voting Station

Paul Siple

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Explorer

The Resume

    (December 18, 1908-November 25, 1968)
    Born in Montpelier, Ohio
    Antarctic explorer and geographer
    Participated in six Antarctic expeditions: Byrd Antarctic Expeditions I (1928-30) and II (1933-35), the US Antarctic Science Expedition (1939-44), Operation High Jump (1946-47), Operation Deep Freeze (1955-56) and the International Geophysical Year (1956-57)
    Wrote 'A Boy Scout with Byrd' (1931) and '90 Degrees South' (1959)
    Coined the term 'wind chill factor' and with Charles F. Passel developed the first wind chill formulae and tables (1939-40)
    Last name pronounced with a long 'i'

Why he might be annoying:

    He spent his honeymoon at a geography seminar in Syracuse.
    He tried unsuccessfully to have a mountain in Antarctica named after his wife Ruth.
    It took seven years for him to convince the Pentagon to adopt thermal-barrier boots and cold-weather parkas; during that time, the equivalent of ten divisions were lost to action due to trench foot.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He earned 59 merit badges in becoming an Eagle Scout.
    Admiral Richard Byrd, who commanded five of his expeditions, called him 'a born scientist and the best-equipped man there is for this kind of work.'
    He eventually won a Distinguished Service Award for his development of cold-weather clothing and gear for the military.
    A Pentagon profile declared, 'In simplest terms, he is responsible for seeing to it that the Army can fight, that new weapons can work, in any environment in the world.'
    Siple Island, the Siple Coast, Siple Mountain, and Siple Ridge in Antarctica were named after him.

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying