The Italian connection: Ralph Goodman’s close ties to NATO over 45 years.

Abstract

Ralph’s enduring and very intense professional relationship with SACLANTCEN (now NURC) in La Spezia, Italy, started in September 1961 when he joined the Centre as a young scientist. He worked in Italy for two years publishing on “convergent zone propagation” and “reverberation from smooth ocean floors.” This was also the time of his first sea trial, which on Ralph’s watch nearly led to the ship running aground. His love for life in Italy and the NATO Centre as such led to many visits in the coming years. He returned in 1981 to become the first American director of SACLANCEN. His primary task was to plan and undertake the construction of a new NATO research vessel named Alliance, a task which involved many crucial decisions about ship specifications and performance, plus guidance to the in-house ship building team, and excruciating negotiations with NATO agencies to secure the funding. Ralph’s broad scientific background and superb people management skills ensured the success, and his “yacht” is still one of the best research vessels around, here 20 years later. Ralph’s tenure as director lasted an unprecedented 6 years and he left in 1987 having secured SACLANTCEN a top-rated seagoing capability for years to come.