Scripps Institution of Oceanography Tour

We have been trying for years to join one of the free historical tours offered by Scripps Institution of Oceanography. "Led by knowledgeable volunteer guides, these one-hour tours are held on the second and fourth Saturday of each month and showcase the most notable features of our beautiful campus, including the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier."

There is so much history here. I'll try to keep it short. The story began 135 years ago with a zoologist looking for a location on the California coast to establish a marine biology station and a local philanthropist with the drive to help him realize his vision. So cool.
William Ritter joined the faculty of the University of California Berkeley in 1891. Fascinated by the vast unknowns of the oceans, he immediately set out to find a place where he could easily collect marine life specimens while leading summer classes.  He finally settled on San Diego. He would write to the San Diego Chamber of Commerce at one point that “there can be no doubt that a laboratory capable of great things (for biological science) might be built at San Diego.” An enthusiastic group of townspeople had been determined to make Ritter’s decision an easy one. In 1903, they formed the Marine Biological Association of San Diego and named Ritter the scientific director. The association raised money for the construction of a small laboratory at La Jolla Cove and by 1907, La Jolla became the permanent location of the new biological station.
As much as Ritter, the philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps and her brother, the newspaper magnate E.W. Scripps, were architects of the fledgling institution. She secured the 170-acre parcel on which Scripps Oceanography now stands, funded the construction of its first laboratory, its iconic pier, and Ritter’s residence, and bankrolled its early operating expenses.
The history is just so incredible that I can only share with you the stuff that actually made me quite emotional! Scripps Oceanography’s connection with the U.S. military began shortly after the first world war and its status as the first oceanographic center in the United States positioned it to take on a leadership role in the prelude to World War II. Scripps became a hub of the University of California Division of War Research in 1941. That center’s primary tasks focused on predicting surf and swells and giving U.S. submarines the advantage in undersea warfare.

How incredible is this? It was in the early years of the war that then Director Harald Sverdrup and student Walter Munk devised the first surf forecasts. The two would go on to teach prediction methods to military meteorologists, who used it to time Allied landings on beaches in North Africa and Europe, most notably the D-Day landing in Normandy.

The war years saw Scripps Oceanography produce another first: an oceanography textbook. The Oceans which contained information of such strategic value that the U.S. government restricted its distribution until after the war was over.
The George H. Scripps Memorial Marine Biological Laboratory, known as the Old Scripps Building, is a historic research facility on the campus. Built in 1909-10, it is the oldest oceanographic research building in continuous use in the United States and the historic center of Scripps Institution of Oceanography. It is architecturally significant as a work of Modernist architect Irving J. Gill and for its early use of reinforced concrete. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1982 and now houses Scripps administrative offices.



George Henry Scripps (1839-1900)



History abounds! Steve stands before Ritter Hall (1931) which is home to the Charles David Keeling Lab. It was here that measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, known as the "Keeling Curve," were developed, providing early evidence of global warming.

We had admired the Director’s House when we were wandering on our own. How wonderful to actually be able to tour the indoors. Completed in 1913, it was built for first director William E. Ritter, and served as a home for early directors and scientists before housing offices for the California Sea Grant Program and now serving as a university engagement space.
The house is often associated with the influence of Julia Morgan’s blueprints and was built during the founding era of the biological station (renamed Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1925), a period characterized by "high thinking and modest living". Notable residents and guests included Arctic explorer Harald Sverdrup and ichthyologist Carl Hubbs, who once famously counted whales from the roof. Guests included Charles Lindbergh, local benefactors, and prominent scientists. We were walking in the footsteps of greats.

We excitedly ended our tour on the Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier, an icon and a vital research facility. Spanning 1,084 feet in length, the pier was designed to provide a seawater system for laboratory experiments and the public aquarium, and it became an essential platform for daily oceanographic monitoring, including water sampling and salinity measurements. In addition, it serves as a launching pad for small boat and scientific diving operations.
Due to the sensitive nature of ongoing research, access to the pier is generally restricted to authorized personnel. This walking tour is the only way to get on the pier. Boy did we feel special.



The pelicans were out on patrol today. The brown pelican is a major conservation success story, having recovered from near extinction due to DDT pesticide contamination and habitat loss. Listed as endangered in 1970, the species rebounded significantly and was officially removed from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in 2009. Yahoo!

Present-day research at Scripps Oceanography investigates nearly every facet of the natural world from volcanoes to microbial aerosols in the sky. How comforting to know that it is here helping to save the planet. I had to share the apt sentiment seen on someone's desk... "Very little is needed to make a happy life!" So true.

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1 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is so interesting. What a great experience you had. I hope you are growing stronger!!!
Kim

March 17, 2026 at 6:34 PM

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