Other Crew Members &amp; Marvin&#039;s Death

“The bones of Ross G. Marvin lie farther north than those of any other human being”

(Robert Peary, 321).

Professor Ross G. Marvin, Chief Scientist

Image of Marvin from Peary's book on the expedition: The North Pole : Its Discovery in 1909 under the Auspices of the Peary Arctic Club

Other Crew Members & Marvin's Death

Various other individuals onboard the S.S. Roosevelt contributed to the trajectory of the expedition.

Most noteworthy, Professor and Chief Scientist Ross. G. Marvin died during the expedition. This event deeply impacted the entire crew.

According to his diary, John Wiseman found out about Marvin’s death on April 17th, 1909.

In Peary’s book, he described learning about Marvin’s death. Peary writes:
“Then he told me that Marvin had been drowned at the ‘Big Lead,’ coming back to Cape Columbia. The news staggered me, killing all the joy I had felt at the sight of the skip and her captain. It was indeed a bitter flavor in the cup of our success… No human eye was upon him when he broke through the treacherous young ice that had but recently closed over a streak of open water… it is probable that, hurrying on, he did not notice the gradual thinning of the ice toward the center of the lead until it was too late and he was in the water… He who had never shrunk from loneliness in the performance of his duty had at last met death alone” (Peary, 318).

Marvin's Memorial

Ross Marvin's erected memorial site at Cape Sheridan.

Wiseman's Sketch of Marvin's Memorial

A page from Wiseman's diary, dated July 12th, 1909. The memorial reads: "In memory of Ross G. Marvin. Cornell University, aged 31. Drowned Apl 10 1909 45 Miles North Cape Columbia"

The Unusual Distinction of Ross Marvin

Clipping from the Ithaca Journal, 1996

Controversy on Marvin's Death

Most on the expedition, including Wiseman and Peary, believed Marvin died by accidentally falling through the ice.

However, in 1926, 17 years after Marvin’s reported death by drowning, one of his Inuit companions confessed to shooting him. Cousins named Inuksutoq and Kudlooktoo, who had been with Marvin at the time of death, had become Christian and were moved at a prayer meeting where Kudlooktoo stated, “Ross Marvin did not die because he drowned, but because I shot him.” People still debate Marvin's cause of death to this day.

Other Crew Members on the S.S. Roosevelt's 1909 Expedition