William A. Brockett

Infobox Military Person
name=William A. Brockett


caption=
born=birth date|1914|2|22
died=September 1984
placeofbirth=Illinois, United States flagicon|USA
placeofdeath=San Diego, California, United States flagicon|USA
nickname=
allegiance=United States
branch=United States Navy
serviceyears=1933—1965
rank=Rear Admiral
unit=
commands=
battles=
awards=
relations=
laterwork=President of the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture

Rear Admiral William A. Brockett, was born 22 February 1914 in Illinois and raised in Litchfield and New London, Connecticut. [Social Security Death Index] [1920 and 1930 Federal Censuses for Connecticut] A naval engineer and author, Brockett served aboard a US gunboat in China at the time of the Battle of Shanghai in August 1937. In 1950, he co-authored with Robert M. Johnston "Elements of Applied Thermodynamics", which was required reading by naval engineering students of the United States Naval Academy for over forty years. [ [http://www.ajarmsbooksellers.com/cgi-bin/ajarms/8735.html?id=DtLUmYc7 A & J Booksellers] ] During the Vietnam War, he was Chief of the United States Navy's Bureau of Ships. He then served as President of the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture from 1966 to 1974. Brockett died in San Diego, California in September 1984. [Social Security Death Index]

Education

Brockett attended the US Naval Academy, lettering in rowing in the same 1933 ceremony that his deputy at BuShips, Charles Curtze, received recognition for his superior performance in gymnastics. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20716FE3C5E1A7A93C2AA178ED85F478385F9 Athletes at Navy Get 229 Letters, New York Timers, 30 May 1933] ]

Career

Lieutenant (JG) Brockett served in Shanghai, China aboard the river gunboat USS Luzon (PG-47). He was temporarily attached to Headquarters Company, Fourth Marines, the so-called China Marines, at Shanghai, China in May 1940. [ [http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/default.aspx?htx=View&r=an&dbid=1089&iid=t977_445-0181&pid=6299627&ssrc=&fn=William+A&ln=Brockett&st=g US Marines Muster Rolls, May 1940, pg 508, Ancestry] ] He left Shanghai on 9 June 1940 bound for the US Naval Academy aboard the SS President Cleveland. [ [http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/default.aspx?htx=View&r=an&dbid=1089&iid=t977_447-0193&pid=11749255&ssrc=&fn=William+A&ln=Brockett&st=g US Marines Muster Rolls, June 1940, pg 558, Ancestry] ]

As Chief of BuShips, Brockett played a role in the investigation of the April 1963 sinking of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Thresher (SSN-593). [ [http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1997/1/1997_1_24.shtml Who Sank The Thresher? by Dean J. Golembeski, Invention and Technology Magazine, Vol 13, Issue 1, Summer 1997] ] He also participated in discussions with NASA regarding the use of stable ocean platforms in lieu of instrumentation ships for the early United States space program. [ [http://history.nasa.gov/HHR-32/ch18.htm NASA History, Chapter 18] ]

Brockett and his vice chief, Charles A. Curtze, resigned their posts at BuShips in October 1965 in protest over Secretary of Defense McNamara's increasing centralization of military power in the Pentagon. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00616F93454177A93CAAB178BD95F418685F9 2 ADMIRALS QUIT POSTS IN PROTEST OVER M'NAMARA; Chief of the Bureau of Ships and Deputy Are Critical of Increasing Centralization, New York Times, October 27, 1965] ]

Brockett's telegram to the commissioning of the USS Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN-631) was read aloud at the ceremony on 17 July 1964. [ [http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:-62a15UOPREJ:www.ussgrant.com/shipshistory.html+%22rear+admiral+w+a+brockett%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us USS US Grant Forum (only available in cache)] ]

Brockett spoke at the commissioning of the USS Gallup (PGM-85) on 22 October 1966. [ [http://www.gunboatriders.com/theboats/85_gallup/pg85.html USS Gallup, Patrol Gunboat Reunion Association] ]

Honors

The Webb Institute sponsors an annual scholarship in Brockett's honor. [ [http://www.webb-institute.edu/news/Webb_News_FW_2006-7.pdf Webb News Fall/Winter 2006/2007, pg 13] ]

References