Early History of the Chesapeake Section
Fifty one years ago, in August 1945, Rear Admiral Harvey F. Johnson, USCG Engineer-in-Chief, served as temporary chairman of the first organizational meeting of what was to become the Chesapeake Section of SNAME. This historic first meeting was held in a moldy old auditorium at Coast Guard Headquarters at 1300 E. Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. Potential members were rounded up for the meeting by the USCG's Robert Browning, Paul Tomalin, and others at the Bureau of Ships, the Maritime Commission, and the David Taylor Model Basin. The name "Chesapeake" was thought appropriate for a section that would include Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Annapolis, and the Hampton Roads areas. The Chesapeake Section was the fifth local section of SNAME to be formed, preceded by the Philadelphia, New York Metropolitan, New England, and Northern California sections.
The inaugural dinner meeting of the Chesapeake Section was held on September 27, 1945 with 160 members attending. The first elected chairman, James L. Bates, Technical director of the Maritime Commission, addressed the membership along with Vice Admiral E.S. Land and Vice-Admiral E.L. Cochrane. Other elected officials included W. H. Leahy, Vice Chairman, Paul Tomalin, Secretary-Treasurer, and Executive Committee members, Dr. K.E. Schoenherr, Bryce W. Blair, and L.D. Pickering.
Organizational meetings and celebrations aside, the real business of the Chesapeake Section began officially on January 17, 1946, with the first technical meeting. Two papers were presented. Oddly enough, those papers were not by local naval architects or marine engineers but by visitors from United Airlines who spoke on the future of transocean passenger aviation!
In March 1946 a paper resulting from the welded ship problems of World War II was featured. Meetings were also held in Annapolis and at the David Taylor Model Basin that year.
In 1947, John Niedermair from BUSHIPS, became Chairman, with Sid Vincent from Newport News as Vice-Chairman. CAPT Harold Saunders, USN, DTMB, was the next Chairman, followed by CAPT R. B. Lank, Jr., USCG, Richard Couch, DTMB, and Fred Lancaster, Jr., ALCOA. The local Section seemed to be on its way to a firm establishment. While Hampton Roads was still a part of the Chesapeake Section, overnight steamer trips to Newport News were part of the fun. Reed Research in Georgetown used to put on some very elegant and memorable meetings.