Jacques Ernest Jean Piccard (July 28, 1922,
Brussels - ),
oceanic engineer,
economist and
physicist. Jacques Piccard most famous for his descent into
Marianas Trench with the
bathyscaphe Trieste.
Jacques Piccard was born in Brussels, while his father, the famous Swiss aeronaut Auguste Piccard was a professor at the University of Brussels. Jacques graduated from the École Nouvelle de Suisse Romande in Lausanne and then studied at the University of Geneva. During his studies, Jacques served a year in the French army, before receiving his academic licentiate in 1946. He taught at the university for two years before entering private teaching.
In the mean time, Jacques helped his father Auguste with the design of bathyscaphes for deep sea exploration. In 1953 they had completed building the Trieste and dove to a depth of 10,168 feet (3,099 m), close to Ponza, Italy.
Two years later, the US Navy bought the Trieste, and hired Piccard as a consultant. On Jan. 23, 1960, he and Lieutenant Don Walsh set a new submarine depth record by descending 35,800 feet (10,912 m) into the Marianas Trench. In his later career, Piccard was a consultant for several companies, including Grumman Aircrafts.
Jacques Piccard is direct family to a line of Swiss adventurers, including Auguste Piccard, Jean Piccard, and Bertrand Piccard.