Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Kevin Hardy Papers
- Dates:
- 1952-2004
- Creators:
- Hardy, Kevin Richard, 1953-
- Abstract:
- Papers of Kevin Hardy, development engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 1972 to 2011 and founder of Global Ocean Design LLC. He is known for the speed records of his human powered submersible SubDUDE and for his unmanned landers, which have reached the deepest parts of the ocean. The collection includes correspondence, planning materials for events and projects, photographs, and audiovisual recordings.
- Extent:
- 6 Linear feet (15 archival boxes, 1 flat box folder, 5 map case folders) and .25 GB of digital files
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
Kevin Hardy Papers. SMC 81. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Papers of Kevin Hardy, development engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography from 1972 to 2011 and founder of Global Ocean Design LLC. He is known for the speed records of his human powered submersible SubDUDE and for his unmanned landers, which have reached the deepest parts of the ocean. The collection includes correspondence, planning materials for events and projects, photographs, and audiovisual recordings. The bulk of the collection documents the development and racing of SubDUDE and a sequence of human-powered submersible racing events in the 1990s which Hardy helped to organize. Hardy was also the planning director for the SIO Centennial in 2003, and the collection includes his planning binders and calendars of events for the year-long celebration.
Arranged in five series: 1) SUBMARINES AND SUBMERSIBLES, 2) OCEANOGRAPHIC ENGINEERING, 3) SIO CENTENNIAL, 4) OTHER EVENTS & PROJECTS, and 5) AUDIOVISUAL RECORDINGS.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Kevin Richard Hardy was born in Buffalo, New York in 1953. He was hired as a development engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1972 while studying engineering at San Diego State University. Hardy organized the World Submarine Invitational races while at SIO, which developed standardized timing methods for submarine races. He led the team which designed and built the submersible SubDUDE, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 as the fastest human-powered non-propeller submersible. Hardy also organized the many events and projects associated with Scripps Institution of Oceanography's centennial year in 2003, including organizing the Oceans 2003 conference held in San Diego.
After retiring from SIO in 2011, Hardy founded Global Ocean Design LLC, which develops oceanographic instruments and deep ocean vehicles. In 2012, Hardy led the team which designed, built, and operated two unmanned landers used in James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge expedition. Both landers reached the deepest part of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, as well as many other deep-sea locations around the world. Hardy is also known for his educational outreach efforts, which include hands-on engineering projects for K-12 students and remotely operated vehicle competitions for high school and college students. He is a fellow of the Marine Technology Society and a member of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) and the Deep Submersible Pilots Association.
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired 1993, 1996, 2002, 2004
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-03-24 22:26:02 +0000 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW TWO TO THREE (2-3) WEEKS FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Original audiovisual recording formats are restricted. Listening/viewing copies may be available to researchers.
- Terms of access:
-
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
- Preferred citation:
-
Kevin Hardy Papers. SMC 81. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego Library.
- Location of this collection:
-
9500 Gilman Drive, Dept. 0175La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, US
- Contact:
- (858) 534-2533