papers, authorizing him to navigate ships of any tonnage on any 



ocean. Acquisition of this knowledge entailed assignments on mer- 

 chant ships, and afterward he engaged in marine commerce as 



master and owner. 



Always there was the urge to navigate uncharted waters and 



explore little known lands in the interest of science. Moreover 



there was an intense desire to design and construct a vessel most 



practical for long range work. 



There came a succession of boats — the Cricket, Velero I, 



Velero II, Oaxaca, and finally the Velero III. Each was an im- 

 provement on the other and each embodied innovations in ship 



building which often startled shipwrights but proved a credit to 



the owner. Velero is translated to mean "swift sailing vessel." 

 To build a better boat was not in itself sufficient objective. 



Each had to serve a definite purpose. The Velero III evolved as 



the last word in a vessel designed and built specifically as a medium 



for scientists to scan new frontiers for knowledge. From the 



moment of its launching it was dedicated to the advancement of 



marine science and related branches of biology. 



Personnel for each expedition is important. Every man is 



chosen with care. Invariably the personnel includes leaders and 



experts in related scientific fields and those experienced in the work 



of the expeditions whose worth has been proven. Institutions repre- 

 sented on many of the cruises include the United States National 

 Museum, University of Michigan, University of Southern Cali- 

 fornia, Steinhart Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, Uni- 

 versity of British Columbia, and the San Diego Zoological Society. 

 An unrivaled collection of marine specimens taken from the 

 eastern Pacific Ocean and the west coasts of the Americas by the 

 expeditions has been carefully preserved for the benefit of scientific 

 and educational institutions. A great portion of the material has 

 been concentrated at the University of Southern California in Los 

 Angeles where students from all parts of the world have access to 

 the collections. The increasing volume of specimens retrieved and 

 the expansion of study involved impressed upon Captain Hancock 

 the necessity of establishing a foundation through which yields 

 of the voyages of the Velero III might be studied more intensively 

 and the work of exploration be assured of perpetuation. 3^ 



