William Howard Taft Presidential Appointment

This document entails the appointment of Benjamin F. Isherwood by President William Howard Taft as the Chief Engineer in the Navy, accompanied with the promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral on the Retired List. Dated April 13, 1911, the document is cosigned by George von Lengerke Meyer.

Benjamin Isherwood had a long career in engineering, and was paramount in the development of the steam engine. As a civilian, Isherwood had experience working on the Croton Aqueduct in New York (still used today), contributed to the Eerie Canal, and designed lighthouses for the Treasury Department. Isherwood joined the Navy in 1844, and served on the first Screw warship of the US Navy, the USS Princeton, during the Mexican-American War. At the war’s conclusion, Isherwood was a prolific writer while stationed at Washington Navy Yard, and wrote 55 technical journals, including articles on steam engineering and thermodynamic experiments. The onset of the Civil War brought forward new opportunities for Isherwood, and among many of his accomplishments, Isherwood developed the fastest steamship in the world, helped build the Union Navy from 28 to 600 steam vessels, and worked on the USS Merrimack before the ship was scuttled. Post war accomplishments include academic reform for engineering curricula, further development of fast cruisers and lighthouse development.

Measurement: Frame: 31 x 27 inches Document Window: 18 x14.5 inches