Contact:  Patricia Viets      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                              7/8/96

HENRY FREY NAMED DIRECTOR OF NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER

Henry R. Frey, an oceanographer, diver and former professor, has been named director of the National Oceanographic Data Center, an agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The facility, located in Silver Spring, Md., is the nation's repository and dissemination center for global oceanographic data. It manages and distributes physical, chemical and biological oceanographic data collected by organizations in the United States and dozens of other countries around the world.

"I am excited about the prospects of leading NODC into the 21st Century with special focus on data quality assurance, scientifically excellent analysis and synthesis products, and customer-focussed management strategies," Frey said. "I view NODC's holdings as an important national data treasure."

Frey has served at NOAA for the past 19 years. Most recently he was deputy director of the Office of Oceanic Research Programs, where he managed the National Undersea Research Program and the Marine Advisory Services of the National Sea Grant College Program. These programs involve major grants to more than 30 universities and research institutions. Before that he served with NOAA's National Ocean Service.

The new director started his career in underwater acoustics and undersea technology with Uniroyal's Corporate Research Center. He also served as an associate professor of oceanography at the Polytechnic University.

Frey holds a B.S. degree in physics from Queens College and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in oceanography from New York University. He also has logged more than 3,000 hours under water, and has served as divemaster and diver on various ships.

He lives in Bethesda, Md., with his wife Jan Hafer and 6-year-old daughter Annelise.

The National Oceanographic Data Center is part of the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, which also operates a climatic data center and a geophysical data center.

Additional information can be found on the Internet:

NODC: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov

NESDIS: http://ns.noaa.gov/NESDIS/NESDIS_Home.html

National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov

National Geophysical Data Center: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov

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