Clive Cussler 

Class of 1949 – Distinguished Alumni 

Clive was an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer.

He was born in Aurora, Illinois, but grew up in Alhambra.

He was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout when he was 14.

He graduated from Alhambra High School in 1949.

He attended Pasadena City College for two years and then enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. During his service in the Air Force, he was promoted to sergeant and worked as an aircraft mechanic and flight engineer for the Military Air Transport Service (MATS)

After his discharge from the military, Cussler went to work in the advertising industry. As part of his duties, Cussler produced radio and television commercials, many of which won international awards including an award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Clive Cussler began writing in 1965 and his most famous creation is marine engineer, government agent and adventurer Dirk Pitt. The Dirk Pitt novels made Cussler's reputation and established the pattern that subsequent Pitt novels would follow: a blend of high adventure and high technology. Cussler had seventeen consecutive titles reach The New York Times fiction best seller list.

As an underwater explorer, Cussler discovered more than 60 shipwreck sites[14] and wrote non-fiction books about his findings. He was also the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), a non-profit organization.

Cussler died at his home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, on February 24, 2020, at age 88