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Father Linehan at Operation Deep Freeze

O'Neill Level 3 Lobby Exhibit

Exhibits in O’Neill are part of the Library's educational outreach and are specifically created to stimulate interest in, and encourage further study of, the topics showcased in the displays. One case is devoted to campus events, and the remaining are open to exhibits which highlight collections, spotlight interesting research being done on campus, explore current and/or historically important events, or demonstrate cultural trends and their significance for the BC community.

Return to the O'Neill Level 3 Lobby Exhibits

Father Linehan at Operation Deep Freeze

June 03 - July 08, 2013

In 1954, Boston College alumnus Fr. Daniel Linehan, SJ, Founder of the Department of Geophysics and Director of Boston College’s Weston Observatory, was invited to participate in U.S. Navy Operation Deep Freeze to Antarctica. Over the course of three Southern Hemisphere summers, he conducted the first seismic ice measurements of the Antarctic, determining that rock was reached under a thickness of 8197 feet of ice at the South Pole. He also served as Catholic chaplain on board the USN Atka, participated in the rescue of a dying helicopter pilot, celebrated the first mass at the South Pole and delighted in the antics of penguins. His meticulously-written journals detail every aspect of Deep Freeze life, including capsule reviews of every B movie shown nightly on board to the crew.

The US Navy awarded Fr. Linehan the Distinguished Public Service Award in 1959 for his work with Operation Deep Freeze, and the Linehan Glacier was named in his honor.

The Burns Library maintains an extensive collection of Fr. Linehan’s writings as well as artifacts relating to his religious and scientific work. This exhibit highlights materials representing his work in Antarctica.

In 1954, Boston College alumnus Fr. Daniel Linehan, SJ, Founder of the Department of Geophysics and Director of Boston College’s Weston Observatory, was invited to participate in U.S. Navy Operation Deep Freeze to Antarctica. Over the course of three Southern Hemisphere summers, he conducted the first seismic ice measurements of the Antarctic, determining that rock was reached under a thickness of 8197 feet of ice at the South Pole. He also served as Catholic chaplain on board the USN Atka, participated in the rescue of a dying helicopter pilot, celebrated the first mass at the South Pole and delighted in the antics of penguins. His meticulously-written journals detail every aspect of Deep Freeze life, including capsule reviews of every B movie shown nightly on board to the crew.

The US Navy awarded Fr. Linehan the Distinguished Public Service Award in 1959 for his work with Operation Deep Freeze, and the Linehan Glacier was named in his honor.

The Burns Library maintains an extensive collection of Fr. Linehan’s writings as well as artifacts relating to his religious and scientific work. This exhibit highlights materials representing his work in Antarctica.