Charles Alden Black

Black was born in Oakland, California, son of James Byers Black (1890-1965) and his wife, Katharine McElrath Black (1889-1984). He had two siblings, James Byers Black Jr. and Kathryn Black Burk. Through his mother, he was a 4th great-grandson of John Sevier, a governor of Tennessee. He also descends from Mayflower passenger John Alden, which is where his middle name comes from, and a 5th great-grandson of Timothy Edwards, thus making him a 5th great-nephew of Jonathan Edwards.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as an intelligence officer in the South Pacific. He again served during the Korean War as an intelligence officer.[1] After World War II, he received his MBA from Stanford University in 1946. Then in the late 1950s, he lived in Hawaii, working as an executive for Castle & Cooke and Dole Pineapple companies. By the end of the Korean War, he was a lieutenant commander.

Black was an executive at the Stanford Research Institute (now known as SRI International) from 1952 to 1957 and with Ampex Corp from 1957 to 1965.[2][3] In the 1960s, Black gravitated to what would become the bulk of his life's work—aquaculture and oceanography. He co-founded a hatchery for oysters and abalone and later created Mardela Corp., a fishery and hatchery company headquartered in Burlingame, California, which conducted ventures such as catfish and salmon farming. He later served as a consultant on maritime issues and served as a regent for Santa Clara University.[4]

He was married to the legendary former child actress and diplomat Shirley Temple from December 16, 1950, until his death. He died from myelodysplastic syndrome on August 4, 2005, at his home in Woodside, California, at the age of 86. They had a son, Charles Alden Black Jr., and two daughters, Susan (from Shirley's previous marriage) and Lori Black.