William M. Kennedy was a Member of the Society for over 60 years. An Honorary Member, his volunteer service to SNAME was instrumental to development of the Scholarship Program into its modern form. The William M. Kennedy Award was created through a bequest in his will.
Mr. Kennedy was born on 19 August 1885 and was largely a self-taught engineer and businessman. He began his apprenticeship with the Maryland Steel Company in 1901, and later became chief planner and estimator at the Charleston, SC Navy Yard, Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Canal Zone. Mr. Kennedy was the author of many technical articles, including “Standardization in Ship Construction” which was used by the U.S. Navy as a guideline for many years.
In 1928 Mr. Kennedy founded the Condenser Service and Engineering Company in Brooklyn, NY and later acquired nine other related companies.
During World War II, on a volunteer basis, Mr. Kennedy served as an advisor to the Navy for the construction of six cruisers at the Cramps Shipyard in Philadelphia, PA and the Los Angeles Shipyard, San Pedro, California. He received numerous commendations for this work. He returned to his own company in 1943 and retired to the Miami area in 1953.
Mr. Kennedy joined SNAME in 1919 and over the years was a benefactor, particularly for the Scholarship Program. An award has been established by SNAME in Mr. Kennedy’s honor.
Mr. Kennedy died on 21 February 1980.
The William M. Kennedy Scholarship is part of the SNAME Graduate Scholarships Program, and open to applicants worldwide who are members in good standing of SNAME looking to pursue advanced studies in approved universities. Awards are made for one year of study leading to a Master’s Degree in naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering or in other fields directly related to the maritime industry. Applicants must not receive their Master's Degree prior to 1 September of the academic year for which the scholarship applies.
One scholarship for one year of study may be awarded annually.
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