George Conrad Westervelt

George Conrad Westervelt
Born December 30, 1879
Corpus Christi, Texas
Died March 15, 1956(1956-03-15) (aged 76)
Florida
Burial place Arlington National Cemetery
Nationality American
Citizenship American
Education Texas Military Institute, San Antonio, Texas, now TMI Episcopal School of Texas; United States Naval Academy
Alma mater Massachusetts Institute of Technology
United States Naval Academy
Occupation naval engineering, aircraft executive, corporate troubleshooter
Known for Aircraft industry
Title Co-Founder of Boeing Company
Spouse(s) Rieta Brabham Langhorne (m. 1927; d. 1956)
Children 2
Military career
Nickname(s) Scrappy
Allegiance United States United States of America
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1903–1927
Rank Captain
Commands held Naval Aircraft Factory

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.

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]

Westervelt was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in naval engineering.[3] 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.[4] Westervelt retired from the USN with the rank of Captain.

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 Company. 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[4] and later became vice-president with Curtiss-Wright.[5] From 1930 to 1931 Westervelt went to China to help out with the China National Aviation Corporation.

Personal

Westervelt was married to Rieta Brabham Langhorne of Lynchburg, Virginia, on December 20, 1927, and had two daughters, Sally Cary and Effie Eda.[6] He retired from Curtiss-Wright and died in Florida in 1956.[3]

Westervelt is buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Aviation and aircraft journal, Volume 10, Gardner, Moffat Co., 1921, p 432.
  2. 1 2 HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History
  3. 1 2 Wings for an Embattled China - W. Langhorne Bond, James E. Ellis - Google Books
  4. ↑ George Conrad Westervelt, Vice-President of Curtiss-Wright
  5. ↑ A Guide to the Papers of George Conrad Westervelt, 1936-1948
  6. ↑ Capt George Conrad Westervelt (1879 - 1956) - Find A Grave Memorial
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