Theodore E. Ferris
Theodore Ernest Ferris (August 17, 1872 – May 30, 1953) was an American naval architect and engineer responsible for the "Ferris Designs" used by the US Emergency Fleet Corporation, of the United States Shipping Board, during World War I.[1]
Theodore E. Ferris | |
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| Born | August 17, 1872 Stamford, Connecticut |
| Died | May 30, 1953 (aged 80) Wallington, New Jersey |
| Education | Greenwich Academy |
| Occupation(s) | Naval architect, engineer |
| Spouse |
Lois Davis (m. 1912) |
| Children | 2 |
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Early life
Ferris was born in Stamford, Connecticut, the son of Nathaniel Betts and Louise (Keeler) Ferris. He was educated in Stamford and later at the Greenwich Academy, where he took a technical training course.[1] After a period of employment at shipyards on Long Island, he joined the Townsend-Downey Company on Shooters Island and later the firm of Cary Smith & Ferris.[2]
Emergency Fleet Corporation
In 1917, the Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board under General Goethals with Ferris as chief architect.[1] His 3,500-deadweight-ton Design 1001 ship (known as the "Ferris Design") wooden steamship became the model for the EFC, of which 63 were subsequently built.[3] He also invented a system of steel strapping for fixing the frames of his ships.[4]
Personal life
Ferris married Lois Davis on August 25, 1912. They had two children, Nathaniel James and Theodore Louis Ferris.[2]
He died in Wallington, New Jersey, on May 30, 1953.[5]
Legacy
In his obituary, The New York Times repeated an estimate that US shipyards built over 1,800 ships to his designs.[1]
The 55-meter schooner Shenandoah is still sailing today.
Works
- Ferris, Theodore E. (1917). Douglas Fir Ship: Specifications for the Construction of a Standard Wood Steamship. United States Government Publishing Office.
References
- "Theodore Ferris, Naval Architect; Chief Designer for Emergency Fleet Corp. in World War I Dies--Noted for Yachts". The New York Times. June 1, 1953. p. 23. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- Weiss, George (1920). America's Maritime Progress. New York Marine News Company. pp. 151–152. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Google Books.
- Hopkins, Fred (1994). "Emergency Fleet Corporation Ship Construction in World War I in the Pacific Northwest" (PDF). The Northern Mariner. Canadian Nautical Research Society. IV (4): 1–14.
- Estep, H. Cole (1918). How Wooden Ships Are Built. Cleveland, Ohio: The Penton Publishing Company. p. 26. ISBN 9783861959250. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Google Books.
- "Theodore E. Ferris". New York Daily News. June 1, 1953. p. 354. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.