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{{Short description|19/20th-century U.S. Navy engineer and cofounder of Boeing}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = George Conrad Westervelt
|name = George Conrad Westervelt
|image =
|image = George C. Westervelt (2).jpg
|image_size =
|image_size =
|caption =
|caption = Cmdr. G. C. Westervelt
|birth_name =
|birth_name =
|birth_date = December 30, 1879
|birth_date = December 30, 1879
|birth_place = [[Corpus Christi, Texas]]
|birth_place = [[Corpus Christi, Texas]], US
|death_date = {{dda|1956|03|15|1879|12|30}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|1956|03|15|1879|12|30}}
|death_place = [[Florida]]
|death_place = [[Florida]], US
⚫
|burial_place= [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|citizenship = [[United States|American]]
|known_for = [[Aircraft industry]]
|known_for = [[Aircraft industry]]
|education Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas, now TMI Episcopal School of Texas, United States Naval Academy,
|education = Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas, now [[:TMI — The Episcopal School of Texas|TMI Episcopal School of Texas]]; United States Naval Academy

= [[naval engineering]]
|alma_mater = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] <br> [[United States Naval Academy]]
|alma_mater = [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] <br> [[United States Naval Academy]]
|employer =
|employer =
|occupation = naval engineering, aircraft executive, corporate troubleshooter
|occupation = [[naval engineering]], aircraft executive, corporate troubleshooter
|title = Co-Founder of [[Boeing]] Company
|title = Co-Founder of [[Boeing]] Company
|spouse= {{marriage|Rieta Brabham Langhorne|December 20, 1927|1956|reason=d}}
}}
|children=2

{{Infobox military person
|module={{Infobox military person|embed=yes
⚫
|nickname =Scrappy
|name= '''George Conrad Westervelt'''
⚫
|allegiance= {{Flag icon|United States}} United States
|birth_date= {{Birth date|df=yes|1879|12|30}}
|death_date= {{Death date and age|df=yes|1956|3|15|1879|12|30}}
|birth_place= [[Corpus Christi, Texas]]
|death_place= [[Florida]]
⚫
|placeofburial= [[Arlington National Cemetery]]
|Place of burial_label=
|image=
|caption=
⚫
|nickname Scrappy=
⚫
|allegiance= {{Flag icon|United States}} United States of America
|branch= {{nowrap|[[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|30px|United States Navy Seal]]}} [[United States Navy]]
|branch= {{nowrap|[[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|30px|United States Navy Seal]]}} [[United States Navy]]
|serviceyears= 1903-1927
|serviceyears= 1901–1927<br>1942–1943
|rank= [[File:US Navy O6 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Captain (naval)|Captain]]
|rank= [[File:US Navy O6 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Captain (naval)|Captain]]
|servicenumber=
|servicenumber=
|commands=[[Naval Aircraft Factory]]
|commands=[[Naval Aircraft Factory]]
|unit=
|unit=
|battles=
|battles=[[World War I]]<br>[[World War II]]
|awards=
|awards=
|laterwork=
|laterwork=
}}
}} }}


'''George Conrad Westervelt''' (December 30, 1879 - March 15, 1956) was an [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] engineer who created the company "Pacific Aero Products Co." together with [[William Boeing]].<ref name="histlink">{{cite web | last = Crowley | first = Walt | title = William Boeing reportedly takes his first airplane ride on July 4, 1915. | work = Essay 367 | publisher = HistoryLink.org | date = 1998-11-22 | url = http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=367 | accessdate =2008-02-04}}</ref> Westervelt {{when|date=December 2011}} left the company in 1916 and Boeing changed the name of the company to the [[Boeing|Boeing Airplane Company]] the following year.
'''George Conrad Westervelt''' (December 30, 1879 – March 15, 1956) was a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] engineer who created the company "Pacific Aero Products Co." together with [[William Boeing]].<ref name="histlink">{{cite web | last = Crowley | first = Walt | title = William Boeing reportedly takes his first airplane ride on July 4, 1915. | work = Essay 367 | publisher = HistoryLink.org | date = 1998-11-22 | url = http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=367 | access-date =2008-02-04}}</ref> Westervelt left the company in 1916 and Boeing changed the name of the company to the [[Boeing|Boeing Airplane Company]] the following year.


==Early life==
George Conrad Westervelt was born in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]] to GW Westervelt and Ida Florence DeRyee (DuRy) Westervelt. He attended [[Corpus Christi Grammar School]] and Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas.<ref>Aviation and aircraft journal, Volume 10, Gardner, Moffat Co., 1921, p 432.</ref>
George Conrad Westervelt was born in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]] to GW Westervelt and Ida Florence DeRyee (DuRy) Westervelt. He attended Corpus Christi Grammar School and Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas.<ref>Aviation and aircraft journal, Volume 10, Gardner, Moffat Co., 1921, p. 432.</ref>


==Naval career==
==Naval career==


Westervelt was a graduate of the [[United States Naval Academy]] and [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] in naval engineering.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8023 HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Until 1916 Westervelt was stationed on the west coast of the United States. In 1916 he was transferred to the east coast and headed the [[Naval Aircraft Factory]] in [[Philadelphia]] from 1921 to 1927.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://books.google.ca/books?id=Zq3Id7kS8pAC&pg=PA20&lpg=PA20&dq=Vice++President+of+Curtiss+Wright+George+Conrad+Westervelt&source=bl&ots=DQfamiPcGq&sig=sOK-E4n98G87kUuHMvW5sxKkXis&hl=en&sa=X&ei=86JZT5-LIKTw0gGT6cTYDw&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Vice%20%20President%20of%20Curtiss%20Wright%20George%20Conrad%20Westervelt&f=false Wings for an Embattled China - W. Langhorne Bond, James E. Ellis - Google Books<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Westervelt retired from the USN with the rank of [[Captain (naval)|Captain]].
Westervelt was a 1901 graduate of the [[United States Naval Academy]] and a 1908 graduate of the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] in naval architecture and marine engineering.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8023 HistoryLink.org – Encyclopedia of Washington State History]</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |url=https://mit.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma990008462420106761&vid=01MIT_INST:MIT |title=Fuel oil tests on a forge furnace |first=George Conrad |last=Westervelt |date=1908 |publisher=Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |access-date=2023-08-11}}</ref> Until 1916 Westervelt was stationed on the west coast of the United States. In 1916 he was transferred to the east coast and headed the [[Naval Aircraft Factory]] in [[Philadelphia]] from 1921 to 1927.<ref name=autogenerated1>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Zq3Id7kS8pAC&pg=PA20 ''Wings for an Embattled China'', W. Langhorne Bond, James E. Ellis, via Google Books]</ref> Westervelt retired from the USN with the rank of [[Captain (naval)|Captain]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YFsIK0sjkw4C&pg=PA607 |title=Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps |date=January 1, 1949 |page=607 |publisher=Bureau of Naval Personnel |access-date=2023-08-11}}</ref>


==Aviation career==
==Aviation career==


During his naval career Westervelt was also involved in naval aviation. Westervelt became friends with Boeing and worked with him on seaplanes and help co-found what would become the [[Boeing Corporation]]. He left Pacific Aero Products after 1916 after being transferred to the east coast by the USN. Following his retirement from the USN Westervelt joined [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]] to work on the [[Curtiss NC]] float plane<ref name=autogenerated1 /> and later became vice-president with [[Curtiss-Wright]].<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/westervelt01.htm George Conrad Westervelt, Vice-President of Curtiss-Wright<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> From 1930 to 1931 Westervelt went to [[China]] to help out with the [[China National Aviation Corporation]].
During his naval career, Westervelt was also involved in naval aviation. Westervelt became friends with Boeing and worked with him on seaplanes, co-designing the [[Boeing Model 1]], and co-founded what would become [[The Boeing Company]]. He left Pacific Aero Products after 1916 after being transferred to the east coast by the USN. Westervelt was assigned by the Navy Bureau of Construction and Repair to work with [[Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company]] on the [[Curtiss NC]] float plane<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1BRAQAAMAAJ&q=%22C.+G.+Westervelt+Had+Charge%22&pg=PA579|title=The NC-4 Flying Boat|date=June 2, 1919|newspaper=Aerial Age Weekly|page=579|access-date=2018-04-20}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1 /> and later became vice-president with [[Curtiss-Wright]] following his retirement from the USN.<ref>[http://www.cnac.org/westervelt01.htm George Conrad Westervelt, Vice-President of Curtiss-Wright<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> From 1930 to 1931 Westervelt went to [[China]] to help out with the [[China National Aviation Corporation]].{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}


During [[World War II]], Westervelt was called back to active duty in April 1942 to manage military aircraft production by the [[Brewster Aeronautical Corporation]] until [[Henry J. Kaiser]] took over in 1943.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/151462984 |title=Not One Bomber Delivered, Navy Seizes Brewster Plant |date=April 22, 1942 |page=9 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2023-08-11|id={{ProQuest|151462984}} }}</ref><ref name=obit/>
⚫
==Personal==


⚫
==Personal life==
Westervelt was married to [[Rieta Brabham Langhorne]] of [[Lynchburg, Virginia]] on December 20, 1927 and had two daughters, Sally Cary and Effie Eda.<ref>[http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/viu02839.document A Guide to the Papers of George Conrad Westervelt, 1936-1948<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He retired from [[Curtiss-Wright]] and died in [[Florida]] 1956.<ref name=autogenerated2 />


Westervelt was married to Rieta Brabham Langhorne of [[Lynchburg, Virginia]], on December 20, 1927, and had two daughters, Sally Cary and Effie Eda.<ref>[http://ead.lib.virginia.edu/vivaead/published/uva-sc/viu02839.document A Guide to the Papers of George Conrad Westervelt, 1936–1948]</ref> He retired from Curtiss-Wright and became chairman of the board of the Kentucky River Coal Corporation. Westervelt died in 1956 in [[Florida]], where he had a winter home at [[Jupiter Island, Florida|Jupiter Island]] and a ranch near [[Stuart, Florida]].<ref name=autogenerated2 /><ref name=obit>{{cite web |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1956/03/16/86548641.pdf |title=G.C. Westervelt, Aviation Pioneer: Retired Navy Captain Who Designed First Craft to Fly Atlantic Is Dead |date=March 16, 1956 |page=23 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2023-08-11}}</ref>
Westervelt is buried with military honors at [[Arlington National Cemetery]] in [[Washington, DC]].<ref>[http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14859543 Capt George Conrad Westervelt (1879 - 1956) - Find A Grave Memorial<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


Westervelt is buried with military honors at [[Arlington National Cemetery]] near [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>[https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=594861 Together We Served]</ref>
==See also==

* [[William Boeing]]
* [[Boeing Model 1]] - first seaplane worked on by B&W and designed by Westervelt and Boeing


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Westervelt, George Conrad
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American businessman, naval engineer
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 30, 1879
| PLACE OF BIRTH = Corpus Christi, Texas
| DATE OF DEATH = March 15, 1956
| PLACE OF DEATH = Florida
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westervelt, George Conrad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westervelt, George Conrad}}
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[[Category:Businesspeople in aviation]]
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[[Category:Boeing people]]
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[[Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
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[[Category:American people of Frisian descent]]
[[Category:People from Corpus Christi, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Corpus Christi, Texas]]
[[Category:TMI Episcopal alumni]]
[[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Texas]]
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[[Category:MIT School of Engineering alumni]]
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[[Category:American naval architects]]
[[Category:Aircraft designers]]
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[[Category:Boeing people]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:United States Navy captains]]
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[[Category:Businesspeople in aviation]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 02:54, 30 October 2023

George Conrad Westervelt
Cmdr. G. C. Westervelt
BornDecember 30, 1879
Corpus Christi, Texas, US
DiedMarch 15, 1956(1956-03-15) (aged 76)
Florida, US
Burial placeArlington National Cemetery
EducationTexas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas, now TMI Episcopal School of Texas; United States Naval Academy
Alma materMassachusetts Institute of Technology
United States Naval Academy
Occupation(s)naval engineering, aircraft executive, corporate troubleshooter
Known forAircraft industry
TitleCo-Founder of Boeing Company
Spouse
Rieta Brabham Langhorne
​
​
(m. 1927; died 1956)​
Children2
Military career
Nickname(s)Scrappy
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service/branchUnited States Navy Seal United States Navy
Years of service1901–1927
1942–1943
Rank Captain
Commands heldNaval Aircraft Factory
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II

George Conrad Westervelt (December 30, 1879 – March 15, 1956) was a U.S. Navy engineer who created the company "Pacific Aero Products Co." together with William Boeing.[1] Westervelt left the company in 1916 and Boeing changed the name of the company to the Boeing Airplane Company the following year.

Early life[edit]

George Conrad Westervelt was born in Corpus Christi, Texas to GW Westervelt and Ida Florence DeRyee (DuRy) Westervelt. He attended Corpus Christi Grammar School and Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas.[2]

Naval career[edit]

Westervelt was a 1901 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a 1908 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in naval architecture and marine engineering.[3][4] Until 1916 Westervelt was stationed on the west coast of the United States. In 1916 he was transferred to the east coast and headed the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia from 1921 to 1927.[5] Westervelt retired from the USN with the rank of Captain.[6]

Aviation career[edit]

During his naval career, Westervelt was also involved in naval aviation. Westervelt became friends with Boeing and worked with him on seaplanes, co-designing the Boeing Model 1, and co-founded what would become The Boeing Company. He left Pacific Aero Products after 1916 after being transferred to the east coast by the USN. Westervelt was assigned by the Navy Bureau of Construction and Repair to work with Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company on the Curtiss NC float plane[7][5] and later became vice-president with Curtiss-Wright following his retirement from the USN.[8] From 1930 to 1931 Westervelt went to China to help out with the China National Aviation Corporation.[citation needed]

During World War II, Westervelt was called back to active duty in April 1942 to manage military aircraft production by the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation until Henry J. Kaiser took over in 1943.[9][10]

Personal life[edit]

Westervelt was married to Rieta Brabham Langhorne of Lynchburg, Virginia, on December 20, 1927, and had two daughters, Sally Cary and Effie Eda.[11] He retired from Curtiss-Wright and became chairman of the board of the Kentucky River Coal Corporation. Westervelt died in 1956 in Florida, where he had a winter home at Jupiter Island and a ranch near Stuart, Florida.[3][10]

Westervelt is buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Aviation and aircraft journal, Volume 10, Gardner, Moffat Co., 1921, p. 432.
  2. ^ a b HistoryLink.org – Encyclopedia of Washington State History
  3. ^ Westervelt, George Conrad (1908). Fuel oil tests on a forge furnace (Thesis). Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  4. ^ a b Wings for an Embattled China, W. Langhorne Bond, James E. Ellis, via Google Books
  5. ^ Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Bureau of Naval Personnel. January 1, 1949. p. 607. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  6. ^ "The NC-4 Flying Boat". Aerial Age Weekly. June 2, 1919. p. 579. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
  7. ^ George Conrad Westervelt, Vice-President of Curtiss-Wright
  8. ^ "Not One Bomber Delivered, Navy Seizes Brewster Plant". The Washington Post. April 22, 1942. p. 9. ProQuest 151462984. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  9. ^ a b "G.C. Westervelt, Aviation Pioneer: Retired Navy Captain Who Designed First Craft to Fly Atlantic Is Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. March 16, 1956. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-08-11.
  10. ^ A Guide to the Papers of George Conrad Westervelt, 1936–1948
  11. ^ Together We Served
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