Henry
J. Kaiser (left) and W.S. (Pete) Newell (right). kaiser began his career
with a photography shop in new York, but soon switched to supplying sand
and gravel to the construction industry. He made his fortume and fame on
the West Coast where, as president. of a group of seven construction companies
known paradoxically as the Six Companies, he led the construction of the
San Fransico Bay Bridge, and the Hoover, Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams.
Newell headed the Todd-Bath group of companies and, in particular, ran
the Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME. The two planned new yards to build Ocean
class freighters for the British.At the start of the war, Newell was the
senior shipbuilding partner, but the Kaiser companies soon came to dominate
the Maritime Commission program.
Vice
Admiral Emory Scott Land, USMC Chairman. Land was a career navy man,
having entered the Naval Academy in 1902. Most of his navy career was spent
in the shipbuilding business, a track that was kicked off with postgraduate
studies in naval architecture at MIT. He was appointed Chairman in February
1938. In 1940, he was elected president of the Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers, the profession's highest honor. The Liberty ship
program's success depended in large part on Land's close personal relationship
with President Roosevelt.
From
left to right: Commissioners Woodward, Land, Macauley, Carmody, Vickerey,
on the occasion of Vickery's promotion to Rear Admiral. Thomas M. Woodward
was a Pennsylvania lawyer familiar with the Shipping Board; appointed
in 1937, he specialized in freight rates and regulations and served until
the end of the war. Captain Edward MacCauley (retired) was appointed a
Commissioner in April 1941 to oversee seaman training and shipyard labor
relations.John M. Carmody was appointed to the Commission by Presdent Roosevelt
in July 1941. Land had made arrangements as early as 1937 to bring Howard
L. Vickerey to the USMC from the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair
to serve as his assistant. Land did not get him until September 1940. Then,
Commander, he was elected Vice Chariman of the Commision and named Rear
Amiral in February 1942. Vickery was in charge of construction throughout
the war.To many, the Land-Vickerey pair appeared to be an equal partnership.
J.E.
Schmeltzer. With the Shipping Board Bureau since 1934, Schmeltzer was
transferred to the Technical Division of the USMC in 1940 and supervised
the design and early production of Liberty ships. In July 1940, he became
Associate Director of the Technical Division and given primary responsibility
for the design of propulsion systems.
R.
Earle Anderson, Director of theFinance Division.
James
L.Bates, Director of the Technical Division.
Willard
F. Rockwell, part-time Director of the Production Division.
Allen
D. Maclean, Assistant Director, and then Director of the Production Division.
Vice
Admiral Emory Scott Land, USMC Chairman. Land was a career navy man,
having entered the Naval Academy in 1902. Most of his navy career was spent
in the shipbuilding business, a track that was kicked off with postgraduate
studies in naval architecture at MIT. He was appointed Chairman in February
1938. In 1940, he was elected president of the Society of Naval Architects
and Marine Engineers, the profession's highest honor. The Liberty ship
program's success depended in large part on Land's close personal relationship
with President Roosevelt.
From
left to right: Commissioners Woodward, Land, Macauley, Carmody, Vickerey,
on the occasion of Vickery's promotion to Rear Admiral. Thomas M. Woodward
was a Pennsylvania lawyer familiar with the Shipping Board; appointed
in 1937, he specialized in freight rates and regulations and served until
the end of the war. Captain Edward MacCauley (retired) was appointed a
Commissioner in April 1941 to oversee seaman training and shipyard labor
relations.John M. Carmody was appointed to the Commission by Presdent Roosevelt
in July 1941. Land had made arrangements as early as 1937 to bring Howard
L. Vickerey to the USMC from the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair
to serve as his assistant. Land did not get him until September 1940. Then,
Commander, he was elected Vice Chariman of the Commision and named Rear
Amiral in February 1942. Vickery was in charge of construction throughout
the war.To many, the Land-Vickerey pair appeared to be an equal partnership.
J.E.
Schmeltzer. With the Shipping Board Bureau since 1934, Schmeltzer was
transferred to the Technical Division of the USMC in 1940 and supervised
the design and early production of Liberty ships. In July 1940, he became
Associate Director of the Technical Division and given primary responsibility
for the design of propulsion systems.
R.
Earle Anderson, Director of theFinance Division.
James
L.Bates, Director of the Technical Division.
Willard
F. Rockwell, part-time Director of the Production Division.
Allen
D. Maclean, Assistant Director, and then Director of the Production Division.