TIM ASKEW RECOGNIZED FOR LIFETIME OF OCEAN EXPLORATION FORT PIERCE, FLA., June 9 Ð He was the first person to dive on the Civil War ship U.S.S. Monitor in its watery grave off the coast of Cape Hatteras. He helped locate and recover wreckage from the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. Now, Tim Askew, Director of Marine Operations at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, has been invited by President Clinton to attend the Ninth Millennium Evening at the White House, honoring him and others who have dedicated their careers to the exploration of space and the world's oceans. "I think fortunate is the word to describe how I feel about my career and what I've done," Askew said when he learned about the honor. "I've been able to see and do incredible things, and along the way we've helped in the understanding of the world around us," Askew added. Tim Askew will be available for interviews about his fascinating career and his upcoming visit to the White House during normal business hours on Friday, June 9th, at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institition campus. Please call 772.465.2400 for information. The Ninth Millennium Evening at the White House "Under the Sea, Beyond the Stars," will begin at 2:30pm EDT on Monday, June 12th, and will feature presentations by noted scientists, including Astrophysicist Neil de Grasse Tyson and Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute in Moss Landing, California. The President and First Lady will host the Millennium Matinee live from the East Room of the White House on both the internet, and via satellite feeds. Viewers will actually have a chance to submit questions to participants via the internet. Askew, an accomplished submersible pilot who joined Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in 1973, said his life as an undersea explorer has been an exciting one. "Absolutely, every time I've gone out to sea I've felt like we were pioneering new territory, seeing and observing things that no one had ever seen before. I still feel that way. Our work involves scientific research and I've done everything from dive in a live undersea volcano to helping find new species of marine life no one knew existed." When he came to Harbor Branch, Askew was charged with designing, building, and ultimately piloting the Johnson Sea-Link II submersible, which is capable of taking four people to depths of 3,000 feet. He became Chief Pilot in 1978, manager of undersea vehicles in 1983, and Director of Marine Operations five years later. During his tenure as Director, the emphasis placed on safety has resulted in development of self-help submersible rescue devices, increased at-sea and safety training and readiness, the addition of a shallow-water submersible, and a "remotely operated vehicle", or ROV, for safety and research. Mr. Askew has logged more than 900 submersible dives in his 26 year career. He is a member of the International Submersible Safety and Rescue Committee and the Research Vessel Operators Council Safety Committee. Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc. is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to the exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind.