Accession No. PA.2026.0006: Tim Lehenbauer, 2014 July
[identification of item], Carl Hoffmeyer Scrapbook on Operation Deep Freeze I, SPEC.PA.56.5002, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University
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Processed by: Sierra Sales, 2026 April; Finding aid written by: Sierra Sales, 2026 April
Operation Deep Freeze was the name for a series of United States missions to Antarctica, beginning with Operation Deep Freeze I in 1955–1956. Operation Deep Freeze I prepared for the creation of three research stations for the United States: McMurdo Station, the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, and Little America V. The operation was also established to conduct research, collect data, and prepare for 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year (IGY) projects. The operation was led by Admiral Richard Byrd and Rear Admiral George J. Dufek, who commanded Task Force 43. Admiral Richard E. Byrd served as the Officer in Charge of the United States Antarctic Programs during this expedition. Byrd helped provide logistical support for the United States Navy as the military built permanent bases in Antarctica. The operation marked the first plane landing at the South Pole and the first time humans visited the South Pole in over forty years. Operation Deep Freeze I would be Byrd's last expedition to Antarctica before his death in 1957.
Carl Hoffmeyer (1918-1997) was a preacher who was interested in reading about Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the United States’ exploration of Antarctica. In 1955, he began collecting newspaper articles about Operation Deep Freeze I.
The Carl Hoffmeyer Scrapbook on Operation Deep Freeze I, dated 1955-1957, contains newspaper clippings about the United States’ exploration and research progress during Operation Deep Freeze I. Newspaper clippings about the exploration of Antarctica by the United Kingdom, Russia, New Zealand, and Japan are also included in the scrapbook. Hoffmeyer divided the scrapbook into several sections; the sections are divided by articles that define the purpose of Operation Deep Freeze, the equipment used during the expedition, and the operation’s progress. The last part of the scrapbook has newspaper clippings related to the International Geophysical Year and the death of Admiral Richard E. Byrd.