Dr. David G. Gallo

2019 Frances K. Hutchinson Medal

His scientific discoveries, his technological developments, and his flair for communication have shaped our knowledge of the oceans and their critical role for our planet.

Seconded by: Milton Garden Club, Zone I

David Gallo, Ph.D., is an American oceanographer, explorer, lecturer and educator—a passionate advocate for the protection and conservation of our oceans. Through his talks and lectures, David has taught thousands about the effects of pollution of the oceans, emphasizing that conserving healthy oceans are essential to life on earth. For nearly thirty years, David has served as Assistant Director of the Center for Marine Exploration and Director of Special Projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He has participated in expeditions to all of the world’s oceans and was one of the first scientists to combine robots and submarines to explore the deep seafloor. Dr. Gallo is committed to conveying the excitement and importance of ocean exploration to the public, lecturing to audiences ranging from children to CEOs, with the goal of awakening that little bit of Jules Verne and Jacques Cousteau that exists in each of us.

The Frances K. Hutchinson Medal is awarded to figures of national importance for distinguished service to conservation.

The Francis K. Hutchinson Medal was endowed by the Lake Geneva Garden Club, Zone XI, in memory of its founder, Francis Kinsley Hutchinson (Mrs. Charles Lawrence Hutchinson: 1857–1936) who was an avid horticulturist, naturalist, and conservationist. At her home, Wychwood, Frances created a 73-acre woodland sanctuary, which she donated to the University of Chicago and which served as a resource for scientific study for faculty and students until the trust ended and the property was subsequently subdivided. She was the author of the Wychwood country home trilogy on the natural history of the Lake Geneva region. She was president of the Wildflower Preservation Society, Illinois Chapter. The medal was designed by Spaulding-Gorham, Inc. in 1940.

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