The Allan Hancock Foundation ArchiveMain MenuIntroduction to the Allan Hancock Foundation ArchiveThe Hancock FoundationG. Allan HancockKUSCSue Luftscheinc3da4f338cfb5c3d980919bd84c8fb083c380bd6
Pacific Expeditions
1media/Yaqui_Indian_family_Escondido_Bay_Mexico_1936.jpg2020-04-21T15:54:11-07:00Sue Luftscheinc3da4f338cfb5c3d980919bd84c8fb083c380bd63725130plain9886252020-04-30T10:49:34-07:00Sue Luftscheinc3da4f338cfb5c3d980919bd84c8fb083c380bd6G. Allan HancockThe Hancock Foundation began conducting research trips to the Galapagos Islands in 1932. Allan Hancock, who captained all research trips through the 1950s, donated his yacht, the Velero II, for this purpose. The voyages were conducted on three generations of the Velero--the Velero II, Velero III and Velero IV. Aboard ship were numerous scientists, including John Garth, who would continue his affiliation with the Foundation through the 1980s, Charles Swett, Maurice Nelles, Waldo Schmitt, Irene McCulloch, Harry Wegeforth, and many others. Most were affiliated with the University of Southern California, but scientists from other institutions (e.g., the Field Museum in Chicago), also took part in some of the expeditions. Also accompanying these trips were photographers and cameramen who visually documented both scientific activity and daily life aboard the Velero.
1media/Ritter__Strauch_Friedo_Floreana_Galpagos_1932__copy_1_front.jpg2020-04-23T11:35:36-07:00Sue Luftscheinc3da4f338cfb5c3d980919bd84c8fb083c380bd6Velero Research Trips42plain2020-05-01T10:51:41-07:00Sue Luftscheinc3da4f338cfb5c3d980919bd84c8fb083c380bd6
12020-04-21T15:32:28-07:00G. Allan Hancock22plain9886362020-05-01T12:04:27-07:00George Allan Hancock was born on 26 July 1875, the heir to the Hancock family's extensive Los Angeles land holdings, including Rancho La Brea. Hancock expanded the family fortunes through oil exploration on the Rancho beginning in 1901, and continued to increase those fortunes for the next two decades. In 1920, he founded the California Bank. By the middle of the 1920's he also had significant holdings in railroads and communications.
In addition to his business skills, Hancock was an accomplished cellist, an avid sailor (licensed to captain any sailing vessel), and aviator. He formed the Hancock Ensemble, later associated with his Hancock Foundation at USC (dedicated to oceanographic research), and captained many of the Foundation's early scientific expeditions, including those to the Galapagos Islands. In 1928 he opened the Hancock College of Aeronautics in Santa Maria, California.
In 1934, as a result of an early Foundation expedition, Hancock became involved in a tabloid sensation concerning Germans living in a "Garden of Eden" nudist colony on Galapagos. There were several mysterious murders in the colony, and Hancock was said to have "rescued" the companion of one of the victims.
Hancock also served on the University of Southern California's Board of Regents, and in 1937 was granted an honorary doctoral degree in Business Administration by the University. Very soon thereafter Hancock initiated plans to construct a building on the USC campus for the Hancock Foundation. The Allan Hancock Foundation continued the work begun by USC's Venice Marine Station and Professor Albert Ulrey. In turn, it was ultimately superceded in the 1990's by the Catalina Station.
In 1939 Hancock funded the construction of a new building for the Foundation that was dedicated in 1941. With the dedication of the new Foundation building, Hancock also donated his yacht, the Velero III, to USC for oceanographic studies. In 1948 a new ship, the Velero IV, was commissioned exclusively for the use of the Foundation; it remained in service until the mid-1980's.
Hancock died on 1 June 1965. The Foundation, Museum, and Library he established continued to function in their original forms for three more decades until they were absorbed into other USC operations. [Adapted from the Finding aid to the Allan Hancock Foundation Archive, https://archives.usc.edu/repositories/3/resources/260]
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