IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 518 

Honoring the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, explorer, researcher, and pioneer 

in the field of marine conservation. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 8, 2009 

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN (for herself, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. HIRONO, 

Mr. EHLERS, Mr. BAIRD, Mr. HOLDEN, and Mr. PALLONE) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, explorer, 

researcher, and pioneer in the field of marine conservation. 

Whereas Jacques-Yves Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910, 

in Saint-Andre-de-Cubzac, France, to Daniel and Elizabeth Cousteau; 

Whereas Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1930, after having made 

his preparatory studies at the College Stanislas in Paris, 

entered the Naval Academy in Brest and became an officer gunner; 

Whereas after serving in the French Army during World War 

II, he was decorated with the Legion of Honor, France’s 

highest honor; 


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•HRES 518 IH 

Whereas in 1950, Jacques-Yves Cousteau founded the French 

Oceanographic Campaigns (COF), and he leased a ship 

called Calypso and equipped her as a mobile laboratory 

for field research and as a support base for diving and 

filming where he traversed the most interesting seas of 

the planet as well as big and small rivers; 

Whereas from 1952 to 1953, Jacques-Yves Cousteau took the 

Calypso to the Red Sea and shot the first color footage 

ever taken at a depth of 150 feet, for a documentary titled ‘‘The Silent World’’; 

Whereas ‘‘The Silent World’’ was filmed using ground-breaking skin-diving gear that Cousteau invented with engineer 

Emile Gagnan in 1943, freeing divers from heavy helmets 

and allowing them to be free and weightless as if in 

space; 

Whereas in 1956, ‘‘The Silent World’’ won the top award at 

the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for 

Best Documentary Feature in the United States; 

Whereas in 1973, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, with his two sons 

Jean-Michel and Philippe, and Frederick Hyman, created 

the Cousteau Society for the Protection of Ocean Life, 

today boasting a membership of over 360,000 people; 

Whereas in 1977, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Peter Scott 

were awarded the United Nations International Environment prize for outstanding contributions in environmental advocacy; 

Whereas in 1977, the ‘‘Cousteau Odyssey’’ series premiered 

on PBS, and seven years later, the ‘‘Cousteau Amazon’’ 

series made its television premiere; 

Whereas in 1985, in honor of his achievements, Jacques-Yves 

Cousteau received the Grand Croix dans l’Ordre National 


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•HRES 518 IH 

du Me ́rite from the French government and the United 

States Presidential Medal of Freedom from President 

Ronald Reagan; 

Whereas throughout all of his voyages, Jacques-Yves 

Cousteau produced over 120 films and authored or contributed to roughly 50 books; and 

Whereas Jacques-Yves Cousteau passed away in Paris on 

June 25, 1997, after spending a lifetime of 87 years inventing, exploring, and storytelling: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors 

2 the life, achievements, and distinguished career of 

3 Jacques-Yves Cousteau, explorer, researcher, and pioneer 

4 in the field of marine conservation. 

Æ 


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