James (Jim) Hall is a multifaceted individual with an interesting background. He has been around the world six times doing ocean-based oil exploration. He crossed the Equator at 19 and Arctic circle at 20. Also visiting the Magnetic North Pole near Resolute Island in Canada, He has an extensive engineering background. He has been a space and physics enthusiast since watching the Apollo 11 landing as a teen in Texas. He enjoys inspiring students to pursue scientific and math studies. He followed every Mercury and Gemini flight and remembers when Explorer 1 was launched in 1958.