In order to recognize select individuals for their outstanding achievements in the field of shipwreck exploration and their support of

In order to recognize select individuals for their outstanding achievements in the field of shipwreck exploration and their support of the California Wreck Divers, Incorporated, the following have been inducted into the California Wreck Divers' Hall of Fame:

2001

The first inductees of California Wreck Divers' Hall of Fame. From left to right they are: Ralph White, Torrance Parker, Bill Meistrell, Robert Marx, and Bob Meistrell.

Robert F. Marx
Treasure Hunter/Archaeologist. Underwater archaeologist and maritime historian. Has lectured professionally throughout the U.S. and many foreign countries. Author of numerous articles and over fifty books, including: Quest for Treasure, detailing his numerous salvage attempts on the Nuestra Senora de Las Maravillas; The Underwater Dig, Shipwrecks in the Americas, and Sunken Treasure: How to Find It. Recipient, NOGI Award for Distinguished Service. He has been described as the most successful treasure hunter in the world whose collection includes china from 3 dynasties and artifacts from 200 B.C. Inducted January, 2001.

Bill Meistrell
Pioneer instructor, retailer, designer and entrepreneur. He and twin brother Bob received the DEMA Reaching Out Award and were named to DEMA Hall of Fame (1990) and Pioneers of Surfing (1990). Former lifeguard and commercial diver; he and his brother each purchased a 1/3 interest in Dive ‘N Surf (1953), pioneer retail Scuba store (co-founded by Boy Morgan and Hap Ja-cobs). Founders and owners of Body Glove International (1965). Inducted January, 2001.

Bob Meistrell
Pioneer instructor, retailer, designer and entrepreneur. He and twin brother Bill were recipients of DEMA’s Reaching Out Award and named to DEMA Hall of Fame (1990) and Pioneers of Surfing (1990). Former lifeguard and commercial diver; he and his brother each purchased a 1/3 interest in Dive ‘N Surf (1953), pioneer retail Scuba store (co-founded by Bev Morgan and Hap Jacobs). Founders and owners of Body Glove International (1965). Inducted January, 2001.

Torrance Parker
Torrance Parker began diving when he was a young boy living in Oklahoma. It was the end of the Depression when he fashioned his diving gear from various pieces of farm equipment. As a teenager during World War II he was a sponge diver in Florida. After the war he moved to San Pedro and founded the Parker Diving Service, the oldest southern California commercial diving company still in business. Working as a commercial diver for nearly a half century involved Parker in a wide variety of challenging jobs. After selling Parker Diving Service in 1985, Parker began to assemble stories and photographs of commercial diving in southern California. Using this material he wrote 20,000 Jobs Under the Sea to keep alive the memories of southern California divers and their great works. Now retired, he enjoys barnstorming his 1928 vintage biplane on cross-country flights around the United States. Inducted January, 2001.

Ralph White
Member of expedition team which discovered the R.M.S. Titanic. Also participated in expeditions to the Breadalbane, I-52, and others. Specialist in aerial, helicopter, underwater and deep submersible photography. Received an Emmy Award for the National Geographic Society’s television special, The Great Whales. Member, board of advisors, Marex (International) Inc. Chief Exec Officer for WhitePix Production, an independent film and video tape producer of television programs, commercials, sales and industrial films. Inducted January, 2001.

2002

Our 2002 inductees. From left to right: Mike Cameron, Dick Anderson, Zale Perry, James Cameron, and Jim Wadsley

Mike Cameron
Designed and developed unique ROV (remote operated vehicle) technology, specifically developed to explore the interior of the Titanic. Two small ROVs, nicknamed Jake and Elwood, entered and filmed the Titanic, revealing never before seen details inside the famous shipwreck. The photography shot utilizing the ROVs was instrumental in the making of the documentary, Ghosts of the Abyss.

Dick Anderson
Best known for his books on gold diving and his work with Skin Diver magazine, is one of the first scuba divers in the United States and holds Los Angeles country Underwater Instructor card #27. He has logged countless hours throughout the world as both a sport and commercial diver and was instrumental in the design and testing of several early regulators and other type of underwater equipment. His 16mm film Gold from the Winfield Scott captured “Film of the Year” award at the International Underwater Film Festival.

Zale Perry
Zale began diving in 1951 using one of the first imported Aqualungs. She helped run the first hyperbaric chamber for civilian divers in California; set a woman's depth record to 209 feet (1954); and became the third female instructor to graduate from the LA County UICC program. She is best known as the underwater damsel in distress in the TV series Sea Hunt. She has received WSA's Woman Diver of the Year and DAN's Diver of the Year awards. She is co-author of Scuba America; The Human History of Sport Diving.

James Cameron
Academy Award winner James Cameron, screenwriter, director, and producer of the blockbuster movie Titanic. Cameron first became acquainted with the underwater realm as a teenager when certified as a diver at age 16 in Buffalo. After diving the local lakes and rivers, he considered a future as a marine biologist, but destiny would soon have its way when he and a friend wrote and filmed a 10-minute script. After directing Piranha 2 and The Spawning, Cameron’s breakthrough motion pictures The Terminator in 1984 and The Abyss in 1989 demonstrated his technical creativity with a plethora of visually-stunning effects. Although multi-talented with a wide range of accomplishments, James Cameron will always be known for Titanic, the most successful film of all time. Cameron’s dozen dives to the actual wreck site of the Titanic 2 ½ miles beneath the North Atlantic has fueled his interest in shipwrecks and shipwreck exploration.

Jim Wadsley
A long time member of CWD, Jim Wadsley is our first to have joined the ranks of successful treasure hunters. Jim's self-taught engineering skills and passion for shipwrecks lead him to the field of wreck surveying, namely side-scanning. Jim joined noted Willard Bascom on more than one expedition in the search for ancient antiquities in the Mediterranean. He later discovered and participated in the salvage of the Brother Johnathan, California's only known treasure wreck.

2002

John Chatterton
John Chatterton, adventurer, sea-going captain and commercial diver has dived to a multitude of wrecks, including the Brittanic, Lusitania, Andrea Doria and discovered the “U-Who,” later determined to be the U-869. As a host of the History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives, he has dived Lake Mead’s B-29, the Frolic and wrecks of the South Pacific.