Lenihan, Daniel J.

Basic Biographical Information

Daniel Lenihan grew up on the lower east side of New York City. He attended Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, and graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy. His interest in Philosophy stemmed from a deep fascination for understanding human strategies for living, which had a profound impact on his future career choices.

After graduating, Lenihan taught fifth grade in the Virgin Islands. There, he was exposed to diving through a half-day course at a local dive shop. Dan dived with neighbor Alan Albright, who later became the South Carolina underwater archaeologist, and Alan’s dive buddy, the Smithsonian’s Mendel Peterson. After exposure to diving on cultural resources, in 1971 Dan enrolled at Florida State University for graduate school to study underwater archaeology but thought diving was more captivating than archaeology.

Lenihan spent his days at the University and his nights diving, often in sinkholes and caves, becoming a member of a group of...