Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.'s brief chairmanship helped concentrate authority in the Maritime Commission's chair even though little construction progress followed. His successor, Rear Admiral Emory S. Land, brought naval experience and a practical willingness to withstand lobbying over jobs, contracts, and shipyard locations. Land used a simplified British-derived design partly because rival American design factions could accept a solution that belonged to none of them. Choosing an outside design converted political deadlock into a buildable program.
Chapter · 10:50-15:59
Emory Land gives the Maritime Commission practical leadership
Joseph Kennedy establishes a powerful chairmanship, but Rear Admiral Emory Land supplies the pragmatism that turns the commission toward wartime action.