John Olguin

John Main Olguin (February 18, 1921 – January 1, 2011) was an American

An authorized biography, entitled "An Ocean of Inspiration - The John Olguin Story" detailing John's life is being released October 16, 2011 at the Autumn Sea Fair at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. The book is co-authored by Dr. Stefan Harzen and Barbara J Brunnick, Ph.D. of the Taras Oceanographic Foundation and Mike Schaadt, the current Director of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

In 2012, a new campus of San Pedro High School, the John M. and Muriel Olguin Campus, was opened and named after Olguin and his wife.^[2]

Early life

Olguin was born in San Pedro, California, a port district and neighborhood of Los Angeles, on February 18, 1921.^[1] His father, Roy Olguin, had moved to southern California from Mexico in 1910 and married Josie Main, a woman from Long Beach, California, who became Olguin's mother.^[1] His ancestry also included some Chumash heritage.^[3] Olguin became a lifeguard beginning in 1937.^[1]

Olguin graduated from

During the 1940s, Olguin began working with William Lloyd, a retired dentist and museum director of the newly opened Cabrillo Marine Museum. Lloyd stepped down from the position in 1949 and Olguin, who was a lifeguard captain at the time, succeeded him as director.^[1] He began enrolling in biology courses held at local universities and junior colleges to become more familiar with the exhibitions and science in the museum.^[1] Olguin established a number of educational programs, often aimed at school children, during his tenure as director. A new aquarium building, designed by Frank Gehry, was opened in 1981.

Olguin remained either the director or co-director of the Cabrillo Marine Museum until his retirement in 1987.