Christian J. Lambertsen

Christian J. Lambertsen (May 15, 1917 – February 11, 2011) was an American scientist, inventor, and U.S. Army officer. He is best known for developing the first self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) and the military combat swimmer program during World War II.

Early life and education

Lambertsen was born in Westfield, New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. He later received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Career

In 1940, while still in medical school, Lambertsen invented the Lambertsen Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU), a closed-circuit, oxygen rebreather. He demonstrated the LARU to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) by infiltrating a sunken ship and planting explosives. Impressed by his invention, the OSS incorporated the technology and established the first military combat swimmer program, which Lambertsen led.

After the war, Lambertsen continued his work on underwater breathing apparatuses and high-pressure physiology. He served as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and was the director of the Institute for Environmental Medicine.

Legacy

Lambertsen's contributions to diving technology and military operations have had a lasting impact. His work laid the foundation for modern SCUBA diving and has been instrumental in deep-sea exploration. He was inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2000.

See also

• History of underwater diving
• Rebreather
• Office of Strategic Services

External links

• University of Pennsylvania Gazette: "The Frogman's Frogman"