March 03

Luis Marden (1913–2003) was an American photographer, explorer, and linguist who spent over forty years with National Geographic Magazine. He pioneered underwater photography techniques on coral reefs and shipwrecks, significantly advancing marine documentation. Marden also studied and cataloged the indigenous languages of the Caribbean and Central America. His diverse expeditions included journeys to the Amazon, the Galápagos Islands, and remote Pacific atolls. A prolific writer, he authored numerous articles that brought little-known cultures and ecosystems to global audiences. Marden's contributions helped shape modern photojournalism and anthropological research before his death in 2003.

William R. Pogue was born in 1930 in Okemah, Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma State University. He served as a fighter pilot in the US Air Force and logged over 7,000 flight hours. Selected by NASA in 1966, Pogue flew as a pilot on the Skylab 4 mission, spending 84 days in space. He conducted numerous scientific and medical experiments aboard the orbital workshop. After NASA, Pogue worked on technology transfer programs and consulting in aerospace. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame for his pioneering contributions to human spaceflight.