Hidden gems: Law grad turned treasure hunter

Mediator and law professor by day, treasure hunter by night. This briefly describes alumnus Harvey Slentz, 81L, who for the past 15 years has not only practiced law, but has also been involved with Amelia Research & Recovery, a leader in the treasure salvage industry.

After living in various cities across the U.S. following graduation from the UofL Brandeis School of Law in 1981, Harvey and his wife, Tish, moved to Amelia Island in Florida in 2001. Shortly after, he met one of the owners of Amelia Research & Recovery, LLC, whose mission is to use existing technologies in innovative ways in the treasure salvage industry. After careful consideration by the company, Slentz became one of the owners. In this role, he acts on behalf of Amelia Research involving selected issues related to business contracting, mergers, employment and related issues and often serves as the media representative for the company.

The company has been featured in local and national stories, specifically with regard to a 40-carat emerald found by the company, as well as a jeweler’s furnace that is confirmed to be from the long-lost Spanish galleon, San Miguel, which sunk in 1715 and is listed as one of the top 10 unrecovered treasures in the world. The organization has found success with their sound research and by applying the wide knowledge of their owners.

“One of the things I have found interesting over the years is the fact that everything we have done has been based in skills learned in higher education, to an extreme degree,” Slentz said.

Amelia Research & Recovery is working with a Hollywood-based movie production company interested in documenting the work, and is in pilot discussions about a reality television series.

Slentz lived in Louisville from 1974–1987, working as an operations manager for the U.S. Postal Service while in night school at UofL, and again from 1990-1995, when he returned to Louisville from Washington, D.C., to be the Postmaster of Louisville. “I have worked with a lot of different people from a lot of different universities — including top-ranked Ivy League schools — and I have found that my preparation at UofL Brandeis School of Law was right up there with the best,” he said.

Future adventurers may visit the Amelia Research Facebook page or
www.ameliaresearch.com to learn more.