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Donald G Shomette
Honorary President of the Filey Bay 1779 Group
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Don Shomette |
Following his undergraduate study at the Pratt Institute in New York City, and having
received his Ph.D in Humane Letters from the University of Baltimore, Donald Shomette has worn many hats in his
life. While serving for nearly two decades on the staff of the Library of Congress, from which he retired in 1993 as Director of Graphic Arts,
he also found time to carry on simultaneous careers in underwater archaeology, maritime history, and as an author. Sponsored by
or working for such organisations as the National Geographic Society, the National Park Service, the U.S. Navy, and numerous state
governments and museums, he has been a pioneer in the field of marine archaeology and cultural resources management.
| Included amongst his many achievements are: The first underwater survey of an entire riverine system in America |
| The first systematic use of robotic technology for underwater archaeology |
| The survey of the largest fleet of shipwrecks in one place |
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The survey of the oldest shipwreck fleet in America discovery of the earliest Euro-American small craft wreck in the U.S. and co-founder of the first public historic shipwreck preserve in Maryland. |
He is currently under contract with the U.S. Navy to carry out the largest federal historic shipwreck inventory undertaken by that
service to date-all naval and foreign military vessels lost on the mid-Atlantic seaboard of the United States.
Author of a dozen books, with his thirteenth due out in six weeks, and two more already in the works, he has also been
a contributor to myriad other publications, including the British Museum Encyclopaedia
of Underwater Archaeology, and the Encyclopaedia of Naval History. His writings have
appeared in numerous American publications including National Geographic Magazine and Invention and Technology.
He has received many awards, including the Calvert Prize, the highest award given for historic preservation in the State of
Maryland. He has been made an Honorary Arkansas Traveller by Bill Clinton, and and a Honorary Citizen of the City of Little
Rock. He was the winner of the prestigious George Lyman Literary Award for Best American Maritime History of 1994 for his book
The Hunt for HMS De Braak: Legend and Legacy.
Don Shomette is no stranger to Filey and as a visitor and good freind, he has
undertaken work for the Town in connection with the Battle of Flamborough Head
and our on going work.
During his visit, he delivered an excellent public lecture
in Filey entitled Beneath the Waters of Time - A Search for History Beneath the
Sea and he is advising Filey Bay 1779 with regards to Cultural Resource
Management, heritage and research matters.
Check out Don's other pages on this link
© Anthony Green April 2021