Paul Allman Siple ( ; 1908 –1968) was an American Antarctic explorer and geographer who took part in six Antarctic expeditions, including the two Byrd expeditions of 1928–1931 and 1933–1935. Siple was also a Sea Scout. His first and third books covered these adventures. With Charles F. Passel he developed the wind chill factor, a term coined by Siple.
Biography
Siple was born in Montpelier, Ohio on December 18, 1908, to Clyde Lavonius Siple and Fannie Hope Allman. His family moved to Erie, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Central High School in 1926. He became an Eagle Scout in 1923 with 59 merit badges, under his Scoutmaster George Church. After an extensive nationwide search in 1928, he was the first Eagle Scout selected for an Antarctic expedition, sailing with Richard E. Byrd on his ship the City of New York. Siple appeared in the documentary film With Byrd at the South Pole (1930).
He became a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity while attending Allegheny College, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. He married Ruth Ida Johannesmeyer on December 19, 1936.
He also attended Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, from which he received a Ph.D. in 1939. His dissertation was on "Adaptations of the Explorer to the Climate of Antarctic". He worked in the Army Scientific Office for most of his career.
Legacy
Antarctic features Siple Coast, Siple Island, Mount Siple, Siple Ridge, Siple camp site at BSA Camp William Hinds, and Siple Station were named in his honor.
Siple is noteworthy because he is one of a very few individuals to participate in all five of the Antarctic expeditions conducted by Richard E. Byrd.
Honors
Siple received the Silver Buffalo Award from the BSA in 1947 He also received the Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal, the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition Medal, United States Antarctic Expedition Medal and the Antarctica Service Medal.
Works
See also
- Scouting in the Antarctic
References
External links
- Paul Siple on cover of Time magazine
- Paul Siple bio
- Film: featuring footage of Paul Siple.