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It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of an Explorers Club legend, our former President, Captain Alfred “Fred” Scott McLaren, PhD.
Fred was a larger-than-life character, a submarine captain whose life left a powerful wake wherever he went. Just about everyone who met him has a “Fred story.” I’ll never forget mine . . . In the mid-1990s, he took me under his wing and guided me up the ranks of the Club. Years later I was thankful to have the opportunity to tell him how much he meant to me and that if it were not for his mentorship, I’d never have become a director or president. Though he shrugged it off as a simple compliment, I know he knew how much he meant to me.
Fred was a transformative leader. As the Club’s 37th President, serving from 1996 to 2000, he brought an essential sense of order and discipline that the Club was previously lacking. He instituted military-like protocols that were a direct reflection of his distinguished career, and many of these procedures are still followed at the Club today, a testament to his enduring legacy.
Even at the age of 93, Fred’s dedication never wavered. Having recently moved back to the East Coast, he reengaged with the Club, offering sage advice that was invaluable not just because it was solid, but because it came from his many years of experience.
As a decorated U.S. Navy Captain and a veteran of the Cold War, Fred was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and two Legions of Merit. He pioneered submarine exploration as the senior pilot of the SAS Super Aviator submersible, sharing his incredible journeys in his books, Unknown Waters and Silent and Unseen. He also served as President Emeritus of the American Polar Society, a testament to his boundless passion for the world’s most remote places.
His legacy is one of remarkable generosity, humor, and a deep, abiding love of exploration that touched and inspired us all. I hope you will join me in taking a moment to reflect on this extraordinary man. His impact on our mission and on all of us will never be forgotten.
Richard Wiese
President, The Explorers Club
Click here to see Sylvia Earle, MED’81, toast to Captain McLaren at Climate Week 2025, September 22.
