The Lunarfins Scuba Club was organized in 1963 by a small group of divers who worked at the Manned Spacecraft Center, as Johnson Space Center (JSC) was known back then. Thanks to the persistence of Hugh Scott, Wally Graves, Lyle Jenkins and Jim Peacock who made it happen. The club grew primarily through the sponsorship of SCUBA training classes, local dive trips and social activities. Since that time, membership has broadened to include anyone interested in diving. The majority of our members are in some way affiliated with NASA but this is not a requirement for membership and we have members from all across the board.
Where did we get that goofy diver in our early style logo?
The thin, crew cut diver, typical of the engineers working to go to the Moon back then, is affectionately called the “NASA Nerd.” Founding member Jim Peacock tells this story about the logo designed in the early sixties:
“Chet McCulough was the original artist. When he showed it to Hugh Scott and me, he noticed the puzzled look on our faces. We didn’t say a word, but after a long pause, Chet said, ‘Well if you guys think you can do any better, have at it!’ That was back in the days when we had very few people, and fewer resources. I haven’t seen or heard from Chet in years. I don’t even know if he is still among us. But he was the cornerstone of the original club, as far as getting things done. We usually had the Lunarfins fish fries at his house on a canal at San Leon. That was back in the days when you could buy jumbo shrimp for fifty cents a pound (nine count). But, on the other hand, you could buy a new car for $4,000, and a new house for $20,000.”