George G. Shor Papers
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Copyright 2016
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Business Number: 858-534-2533
Fax Number: 858-534-5950
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Descriptive Summary
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: George G. Shor Papers
Creator:
Shor, George G., Jr., 1923-2009
Identifier/Call Number: SMC 0033
Physical Description:
11 Linear feet
(11 cartons, 1 map case folder)
Physical Description:
.058 GB
of digital files
Date (inclusive): 1950 - 2009
Abstract: Papers of marine geophysicist George Shor, including his correspondence, committee files, teaching materials and geophysics
research files. The collection also includes materials regarding the historic preservation of the Old Scripps Building.
Languages:
English
.
Scope and Content of Collection
Papers of marine geophysicist George Shor, including his correspondence, committee files, teaching materials and geophysics
research files. The collection also includes materials regarding the historic preservation of the Old Scripps Building. Subjects
of note include marine geophysics, seismic refraction and reflection, Project Mohole, the International Decade of Ocean Exploration
(IDOE), SIO ship operations and the Birch Aquarium.
Arranged in eight series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL FILES, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) TEACHING, 4) GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS, 5) GEOPHYSICS
WORK, 6) PROJECTS, 7) INTERNATIONAL DECADE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION (IDOE) and 8) SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY.
Biography
George G. Shor (1923-2009) was a marine geophysicist who served as chief scientist on many SIO research expeditions and contributed
to the administration of the Scripps fleet and seagoing operations. His interests included marine seismic refraction and reflection,
deep sea topography, research fleet operations and SIO campus planning.
Shor received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech in 1944. During World War II he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve and
served as a radar and communications officer. He returned to Caltech in 1946 and received an M.S. in Geophysics in 1948. Between
1948 and 1951 he worked for the geophysical company Seismic Explorations, Inc. as party chief of a reflection seismograph
crew before returning to Caltech for his Ph.D. in Seismology in 1951. Shor graduated in 1954, having conducted his dissertation
on the seismic reflection of the Mohorovicic discontinuity, the boundary between the earth's crust and mantle.
Shor began his career at SIO in 1953 working for the Marine Physical Laboratory as an Assistant Research Geophysicist. From
the 1960s through the 1980s Shor had a rigorous seagoing career in which he averaged over two months at sea per year. He served
as chief scientist for many expeditions, using explosives and air guns to conduct refraction and reflection studies. Shor
served as principal investigator for Project Mohole, an endeavor launched by the American Miscellaneous Society in the 1950s
which attempted to drill through the earth's crust into the Mohorovicic discontinuity. Alongside colleague Russell Raitt,
Shor participated in several Mohole committees and piloted expeditions around the Hawaiian Islands to determine the best drilling
location for the project. Project Mohole was terminated by Congress before drilling could begin. In 1960 Shor served as chief
scientist on the Monsoon Expedition, the first SIO expedition to the Indian Ocean as part of the International Indian Ocean
Expedition. His work in the Indian Ocean continued throughout his career and he was made special advisor to the Committee
for Coordination of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in Asian Offshore Areas (CCOP) from 1976-1991.
Shor also served as Ship Scheduling Officer for the SIO Marine Operations Committee and was a formative participant in the
creation of the UNOLS research ship fleet. During the 1960s he helped to establish the California Sea Grant program, serving
as its manager from 1969 to 1973. From 1968 until his retirement in 1991 Shor served as Associate Director of SIO.
George Shor's spouse, Elizabeth "Betty" Noble Shor, also worked at SIO as a laboratory assistant under ichthyologist Carl
L. Hubbs. After Hubbs' death in 1979, she continued her work at Scripps, maintaining Hubbs' personal papers and library for
many years. Remembered as the unofficial historian of SIO, she gathered records and papers across the institution and established
the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives, and advocated for the historic preservation of the Old Scripps Building.
She wrote
Scripps Institution of Oceanography: Probing the Oceans, 1936-1976 for the Institution's 75th anniversary, and accompanied her husband on many research expeditions.
Preferred Citation
George Shor Papers. SMC 33. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquisition Information
Acquired 1995-2014.
OFF-SITE STORAGE
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Publication Rights
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Digital Content
Slides from the INDOPAC Expedition have been digitized and are available on the UC San Diego Library Digital Collections website.
One sound recording has been reformatted, and the other sound recording is a digital file only.
Restrictions
Original sound recordings are restricted. Listening copies may be available for researchers.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
International Decade of Ocean Exploration, 1970-1980
Marine geophysics -- 20th century
Oceanography -- Study and teaching
Shor, George G., Jr., 1923-2009 -- Archives
Scripps Institution of Oceanography -- Archives
Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum
Project Mohole
Box 1, Folder 1
Biographies
ca. 1950-1966
Box 1, Folder 3
Retirement party
1991 February 22
Box 11, Folder 24
Sound recording - Shor retirement party speeches
1991
General note
Audiocassette, time 01:23:54. Recording of speeches made during Shor's retirement celebration at SIO. Speakers include Frederick
H. Fisher, Fred N. Spiess, Robert H. Kieckhefer, Alexander ("Sandy") Shor and Jim Williams.
Sound recording - Memorial service
2009 September 7
General note
Digital sound file, time 00:39:47. Entitled "Bombs, Boats and Bamboo," held at the Martin Johnson House at SIO. Speakers include
Sandy Shor, Donald Shor, Robert L. Fisher, Robert Knox, David Wirth and Roy Wiersma.
CORRESPONDENCE
Scope and Content of Series
Series 2) CORRESPONDENCE: Includes general correspondence, arranged chronologically. Also included is the correspondence of
Delpha McGowan, a female refraction technician who accompanied many expeditions of which Shor was chief scientist.
Box 1, Folder 4-49
General correspondence
1951-1970 August
Box 2, Folder 1-50
General correspondence
1970 September-1981
Box 3, Folder 1-16
General correspondence
1982-1991
Box 3, Folder 17
Delpha McGowan correspondence
1971-1982
General note
McGowan was a SIO refraction technician, who served on many expeditions with Shor.
TEACHING
Scope and Content of Series
Series 3) TEACHING: Includes classroom handouts, lecture notes and scripts, correspondence and class announcements and exam
master copies, arranged according to class number.
Box 3, Folder 18-22
ES 103 - Introduction to Geophysics
1978-1982
Box 3, Folder 23
SIO 220 - Observations of Large-Scale Ocean Circulation
1968
Box 3, Folder 24-31
SIO 226A - Introduction to Marine Geophysics
1969-1981
Box 3, Folder 32
SIO 239 - Radar and Sonar Interferometry
1974
Box 3, Folder 33
SIO 244 - Shape and Structure of the Ocean Floor
1970
Box 3, Folder 34
SIO 248 - Evolution of Earth's Biosphere
1973
Box 3, Folder 35
Unidentified class notes
undated
GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
Scope and Content of Series
Series 4) GROUPS AND ASSOCIATIONS: Correspondence, memoranda and notes from various scientific professional groups and committees,
arranged alphabetically.
Box 3, Folder 36
Alpine Geophysical Associates, Inc.
1967-1968
Box 3, Folder 37
California Sea Grant Committee
1983-1989
Box 3, Folder 38
Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Steering Committee
1968-1980
Box 3, Folder 39
Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation
1988
Box 3, Folder 40
Institute of Marine Research (IMR)
1973-1980
Box 3, Folder 41-43
Joint Oceanographic Institutions Incorporated (JOI, Inc.)
1976-1977
Box 3, Folder 44-45
Joint Oceanographic Institutions Deep Earth Studies (JOIDES)
1969-1975
Box 3, Folder 46
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant Program
1979-1980
Box 3, Folder 47
Naval Ocean Research and Development Activity (NORDA)
1978-1980
Box 3, Folder 48-50
Office of Naval Research (ONR)
1962-1981
General note
Proposal ratings, UCSD-ONR contracts, and investigators.
Box 4, Folder 2
Society of Exploration Geophysicists
1964-1987
Box 4, Folder 3-9
University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS)
1971-1979
Box 4, Folder 10
WHOI Visiting Committee
1974-1976
Box 4, Folder 11-16
Explosives purchase orders and inventories
1954-1981
Box 4, Folder 17
Explosive use data from expeditions
1969-1981
Box 4, Folder 18
Handouts and equations from explosives classes
1962-1974
Box 4, Folder 19
Explosives storage aboard ships
1972-1976
Box 4, Folder 20
Notices to the Navy of planned underwater detonation
1970, 1974
Box 4, Folder 21-26
Explosives suppliers
1961-1980
General note
Files from E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Company, Hercules Incorporated, Aerex Explosives, United Geophysical Corporation, Kinetics
International and EG&G Geometrics Inc.
Box 4, Folder 28
Computer programs for seismic refraction
1977-1978
Box 4, Folder 29
Cruise data stations
ca. 1975
Box 4, Folder 31-33
Multi Channel Seismic System
1977-1980
Box 4, Folder 34
Reflection streamers
ca. 1965
Box 4, Folder 35
Sea floor hydrophones
1978-1979
Box 4, Folder 38
Notes on source depth and sinking rates
1963-1974
Box 4, Folder 39
Notes on data collection aboard research ships
undated
Box 4, Folder 40
Notes on marine seismic refraction exploration for book
undated
Box 4, Folder 41-42
Bahia Sabastian Vizcaino seismic refraction studies
1962
Box 5, Folder 1
Proposal to the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences for a Seismic Survey at St. Paul's Rocks, Western
Geophysical Company of America
1962
Box 5, Folder 2
Final Report to Brown & Root, Inc. Mohole Project, Western Geophysical Company of America
1963
Oversize Annex MC-007, Folder 08
Hawaiian Islands data plots and "A Line" refraction map
1963
Box 5, Folder 3-4
Marine Seismic Refraction: Anisotropy and Structural Studies
1970-1973
Box 5, Folder 5
Circum-Pacific Map Project, AAPG
1974-1976
Box 5, Folder 6-7
International Phase of Ocean Drilling (IPOD)
1974-1977
Box 5, Folder 8
Refraction Studies on the Fiji Plateau
1976-1977
Box 5, Folder 9
Proposed Marine Sanctuary for the Southern California Bight
1978
Box 5, Folder 10
Acoustic Properties of Finely Layered Sediments
1979
Box 5, Folder 11
Multichannel Seismic Reflection and Refraction Survey in the Bay of Bengal
1979
INTERNATIONAL DECADE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION (IDOE)
Scope and Content of Series
Series 7) INTERNATIONAL DECADE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION (IDOE): Includes correspondence, meeting materials and memoranda for two
prominent IDOE projects, the Studies of East Asia Tectonics and Resources project (SEATAR) and the Committee for Coordination
of Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in Asian Offshore Areas (CCOP).
Box 5, Folder 12-14
CCOP/SOPAC 1st, 4th and 8th sessions in Suva, Fiji
1973
Box 5, Folder 15-16
CCOP 10th and 12th sessions in Seoul, Korea
1974
Box 5, Folder 17
CCOP 13th session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1976
Box 5, Folder 18
CCOP 14th session in Manila, Philippines
1977
Box 5, Folder 20
CCOP 16th session in Bandung, Indonesia
1979
Box 5, Folder 21
CCOP 17th session in Bangkok, Thailand
1980
Box 5, Folder 22
CCOP Correspondence C.Y. Li
1979-1981
Box 5, Folder 23
CCOP Visiting scientists and trainees
1974-1979
Box 5, Folder 24
CCOP miscellaneous
1979-1981
Box 5, Folder 39
SEATAR Steering Committee
1978-1981
Box 5, Folder 40-41
SEATAR research proposals
1976
Box 6, Folder 1
CCOP Circum Pacific Energy and Mineral Resources Conference
1974
Box 6, Folder 2
CCOP/IOC Working Group on East Asian Transects 1st Session
1975
Box 6, Folder 3
CCOP/SEATAR Circum Pacific Conference
1978
Box 6, Folder 4
CCOP-IOC/SEATAR Workshop
1978
Box 6, Folder 5
Manganese Nodule Program
1973
Box 6, Folder 7
Ocean sediment data bank
1975
Box 6, Folder 8
Snellius II Expedition
1978-1979
Box 6, Folder 9-10
Transect projects
1978-1981
Box 6, Folder 11
Naval Postgraduate School
1979-1980
SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY
Scope and Content of Series
Series 8) SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY (SIO). Arranged in seven subseries: A) Birch Aquarium, B) Ships and Expeditions,
C) Marine Operations Committee (MOC), D) Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL), E) Marine Sciences Physical Planning Committee
(MSPPC), F) Old Scripps Building and G) Miscellaneous.
A) Birch Aquarium: Correspondence, memoranda, publicity materials, notes and maps regarding the planning and construction
of the Birch Aquarium during the late 1980s.
B) Ships and Expeditions: Correspondence, memoranda, cruise reports, ship schedules and other SIO fleet operations files.
C) Marine Operations Committee (MOC): Correspondence, memoranda, notes and meeting minutes. Shor's personal MOC files and
designated chairman's files are separated in accordance with original filing order. Subject of note include fleet management
and female crewmembers.
D) Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL): Correspondence, memoranda and reports.
E) Marine Sciences Physical Planning Committee (MSPPC): Correspondence and memoranda regarding SIO campus planning and expansion.
F) Old Scripps Building: Memoranda, correspondence, notes and publicity material regarding the historic preservation of the
Old Scripps Building (George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory). Includes copies of photographs of the original
construction, and notes on objects housed inside the building, including the Zarh H. Pritchard underwater paintings.
G) Miscellaneous: Memoranda, correspondence and memorabilia from various SIO groups, committees and events.
Box 6, Folder 12-17
Planning and design
ca. 1980
Box 6, Folder 18-23
Aquarium and Ocean Science Center Building Advisory Committee
1984-1991
Box 6, Folder 24
Aquarium fundraising
1985-1988
Box 6, Folder 25
Attendance projections and reports
1980s
Box 6, Folder 26
Community concerns and complaints
1985
Box 6, Folder 27-28
Draft Environmental Impact Reports
1985-1986
Box 6, Folder 29
Public Hearing on Draft EIR Report for the Proposed Scripps Aquarium and Oceanside Center
1985 October 2
Box 6, Folder 30
Environmental impact report (EIR) compliance
1988
Box 6, Folder 31
Site parking and roads
1986-1988
Box 6, Folder 32
Public relations
1980s
General note
Flyers and brochures for community meetings.
Oversize Annex MC-007, Folder 08
Hand-drawn map of aquarium site
1985 December
Box 7, Folder 1
Photographs and slides
ca. 1980
General note
Photographs and figures of site planning and survey.
Box 7, Folder 2-8
Correspondence and memoranda
1968-1993
Box 7, Folder 9-11
R/V
Dolphin reports
1967-1975
Box 7, Folder 12
R/V
Alexander Agassiz Gulf of California reports
1974
Box 7, Folder 13-14
R/V
Alexander Agassiz reports
1975-1976
Box 7, Folder 15-17
R/V
Alpha Helix reports
1975-1979
Box 7, Folder 19
National Science Board cruise, R/V
Melville
1975
Box 7, Folder 20
INDOPAC Expedition slides
1976-1977
General note
45 35mm color slides taken by Elizabeth Shor during the INDOPAC Expedition. Images include photographs of participants Bob
Kieckhefer, Keifher Lowden, Russell Raitt, Elizabeth Shor, Gary Sullivan and Alex Velasco. Ports photographed include Guam,
Keelung, Taipei, Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea. Slides have been digitized and can be viewed on the UC San Diego Library
Digital Collections website by searching the phrase, "George G. Shor papers."
Box 7, Folder 21
Scuba Baja, Charter ship
Sand Dollar
1977 August 14-19
Box 7, Folder 22
Mariana Expedition Leg 11
1979 July 2-August 1
Box 7, Folder 23
RAMA Expedition
1979-1980
Box 7, Folder 24
Popcorn Ridge cruise
1984
Box 7, Folder 27
Instructions for marine technicians
1968-1974
Box 7, Folder 28-29
Seismic equipment manuals
ca. 1965
Box 7, Folder 30
Rescue and salvage ships (ARS) conversion
1973-1974
Box 7, Folder 31
Air gun installation
1974
Box 7, Folder 32
Award contracts
1975-1976
Box 7, Folder 33
Master charter party
1969-1971
Box 7, Folder 34-38
R/V
Melville ship scheduling, repairs and refit
1968-1976
Box 7, Folder 39
R/V
Melville notes on ship condition
1992
Box 7, Folder 40
R/V
Thomas Washington ship scheduling
1968-1976
Box 7, Folder 41-42
R/V
Thomas Washington refit
1968-1983
Box 8, Folder 1
Ship fitting with multi-channel seismic reflection systems
1975-1976
Box 8, Folder 2
Mooring of R/V
Thomas Washington
1976
Box 8, Folder 3
R/V
Horizon replacement
1973
Box 8, Folder 4
R/V
Horizon equipment notebook
undated
Oversize Annex MC-007, Folder 08
Proposed Research Vessel (165') Modelled After Offshore Supply Boat Form blueprints
1968 March
Box 8, Folder 5
Notes on ship equipment
ca. 1965
Box 8, Folder 8-10
Quarterly fiscal reports
1983-1984
Box 8, Folder 11
NSF ship operations
1980-1981
Marine Operations Committee (MOC)
Box 8, Folder 17-24
Shor personal files
1970-1980
General note
General information, correspondence and memoranda, originally filed separately from "Chairman's files."
Box 8, Folder 25-30
Chairman's files
1955-1964
General note
General information, correspondence and memoranda, originally filed separately from "Personal files."
Box 9, Folder 1-20
Chairman's files
1955-1973
Box 9, Folder 21-22
Meeting minutes
1963-1968
Box 9, Folder 25
Navigation systems
1960-1970
Box 9, Folder 26
Feasibility study for "boat truck"
1966
Box 9, Folder 27
Hydro Lab on R/V
Melville
1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 28
Ship use proposals
1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 29
Proposal to NSF for designation as Operator Institution for new oceanographic ship
1974
Box 9, Folder 30
Research Vessel Operators' Council
1965-1966
Box 9, Folder 33
Female crewmembers
1972-1982
General note
As MOC chairman, Shor advocated for equal opportunity for female scientists and crewmembers. This file includes correspondence
and memoranda regarding the inclusion of women in seagoing operations.
Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL)
Box 9, Folder 34
Memoranda and correspondence
1978
Box 9, Folder 35
Quarterly project reports
1958-1965
Box 9, Folder 36
Grants and budget
1975-1976
Marine Sciences Physical Planning Committee (MSPPC)
Box 9, Folder 37-41
General correspondence and memoranda
1973-1982
Box 10, Folder 1-14
General correspondence and memoranda
1983-1992
Box 10, Folder 15-19
SIO campus planning
1985-1988
Box 10, Folder 22
Addition to staff of Naval Architect
1966
Box 10, Folder 23-24
R/V
New Horizon new ship construction
1971-1981
Box 10, Folder 25
SIO parking and traffic flow
1973-1979
Box 10, Folder 26
Natural Reserves
1980-1989
Box 10, Folder 27
Open Spaces Task Force
1986-1988
Old Scripps Building
General note
Papers of George and Elizabeth Shor regarding the Old Scripps Building Committee, the Scripps Heritage Committee and the history
and renovation of the Old Scripps Building. Included are memoranda and correspondence regarding restoration of architectural
features and the preservation of historical objects kept in the Old Scripps Building.
Box 10, Folder 28-29
Memoranda and correspondence
1977-1989
Box 10, Folder 30
Notes
1977-1993
General note
Included are notes on historical objects inside of the Old Scripps Building.
Box 10, Folder 31
Carl Hubbs Room
1983
General note
Notations by Betty Shor.
Box 10, Folder 32
National Register of Historic Places
1984
General note
Completed nomination form with annotations by Betty Shor.
Box 10, Folder 33
Script for visitor tour groups
1993
Box 10, Folder 34
Photographs
1910
General note
Includes a photo of William E. Ritter sitting in an armchair inside of the Old Scripps Building, and images of the building's
construction.
Box 10, Folder 35-39
Zarh H. Pritchard
1981-2012
General note
Papers on artist Zarh H. Pritchard (1866-1956), a British-American artist known for painting ocean landscapes while underwater,
using a diving suit and waterproof materials. Includes descriptions and photographs of Pritchard paintings displayed in the
Old Scripps Building, background materials, and Shor's biography of Pritchard (Betty Shor was asked to create a manuscript
about him for a proposed exhibit at the Musee Oceanographique at Monaco). SIO has three of Pritchard's underwater paintings,
a gift from Ellen B. Scripps.
Box 10, Folder 40-41
Space Advisory Committee
1970-1980
Box 11, Folder 1-2
Space Advisory Committee
1970-1980
Box 11, Folder 3
Geological Data Center
1972-1981
Box 11, Folder 4
Committee on Research
1975-1976
Box 11, Folder 5
Geological Sciences Curricular Group
1978-1980
Box 11, Folder 6
Long Range Planning Committee
1979-1986
Box 11, Folder 7-9
Scripps Industrial Associates (SIA) Steering Committee
1981-1986
Box 11, Folder 10
SIO Computer (shipboard) Committee
1982-1986
Box 11, Folder 11-15
Campus/Community Planning Committee (C/CPC)
1985-1989
General note
Memoranda and correspondence regarding Shor's involvement in SIO campus planning, including roads and the aquarium.
Box 11, Folder 16
SIO Fundraising Committee
1985-1989
Box 11, Folder 17
Pier Ground Breaking Committee
1987
Box 11, Folder 18
UC Geologic Overview Investigation of SIO campus
1988
Box 11, Folder 19-20
Scripps Heritage Committee
1988-1996
General note
Includes correspondence between Deborah Day and Betty Shor, with a significant amount of materials regarding the Old Scripps
Building.
Box 11, Folder 21
Papers on the bronze bust of Roger Revelle
1977
General note
The bust was a gift to SIO by the Shors.
Box 11, Folder 22
Frautschy Day Symposium
1982
Box 11, Folder 23
SIO commemorative belt buckles
1984
General note
Two belt buckles. Engraving of R/V
Melville and writing which states: "Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 1903."
Box 11, Folder 25
Nail from original Scripps Pier mounted on wood
1988