Theodore E. Ferris

Theodore Ernest Ferris (August 17, 1872 – May 30, 1953) was a 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
Born(1872-08-17)August 17, 1872
Stamford, Connecticut
DiedMay 30, 1953(1953-05-30) (aged 80)
Wallington, New Jersey
EducationGreenwich Academy
OccupationNaval architect, engineer
Spouse(s)
Lois Davis
​
(m. 1912)​
Children2
Signature

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 "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 design.[1]

Works
  • Ferris, Theodore E. (1917). Douglas Fir Ship: Specifications for the Construction of a Standard Wood Steamship. United States Government Publishing Office.

References
  1. "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.
  2. Weiss, George (1920). America's Maritime Progress. New York Marine News Company. pp. 151–152. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Google Books.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. "Theodore E. Ferris". New York Daily News. June 1, 1953. p. 354. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.