Gordon G. Lill (1918-1996) worked primarily in the field of oceanography. He earned a B.A. in geology and a masters in Sedimentary Petrology from Kansas State University. Lill worked for a several organizations during his career, including the Office of Naval Research. During the 1960's Lill was an advisor to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation relating to research in oceanography. He left Lockheed in 1964 to direct Project Mohole at the request of the National Science Foundation. The project's goal was to drill a hole the earth’s mantle in order to study earth’s structure. The project lasted until Congress ceased funding in 1966, at which point Lill returned to Lockheed. In 1970, Lill became Deputy Director of the National Ocean Survey Branch of the Coast and Geodetic Survey (later becoming National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA), staying until retirement. Lill died in Santa Barbara, California.Lill led the Geophysics Branch of the Office of Naval Research and as such controlled the flow of federal grant money for oceanography for over a decade.