University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 2007 32 in '44: A management and environmental study of submarine construction at Portsmouth Navy Yard during World War II Rodney Keith Watterson University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Watterson, Rodney Keith, "32 in '44: A management and environmental study of submarine construction at Portsmouth Navy Yard during World War II" (2007). Doctoral Dissertations. 386. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/386 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 32 in ’44: A MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY OF SUBMARINE CONSTRUCTION AT PORTSMOUTH NAVY YARD DURING WORLD WAR II BY RODNEY KEITH WATTERSON MA, University of New Hampshire, 2003 BA, University of New Hampshire, 2001 MS, MIT, 1970 BS, United States Naval Academy, 1961 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History May 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3260609 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3260609 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This thesis has been examined and approved. * — ------------------------ Dissertation DirWtof, Kurk Dorsey Associate Professor of History Ellen Fitzpatrick \J Professor of History W. Jeffrey Bolster Associate Professor of History Carole K. Barnett Associate Professor of Management Gary Weir, Chief Historian National Geospatial Intelligence Agency cfczo^" Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to thank my dissertation advisor, Kurk Dorsey, and the other members of my dissertation committee, Jeffrey Bolster, Ellen Fitzpatrick, Gary Weir, and Carole Bamett for their reviews and comments on this dissertation. Their comments were extensive, insightful, and helpful. Also to be thanked are Richard Winslow, author of several shipyard histories, and Jim Dolph, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard historian, who read the dissertation and provided valuable comments. Many contributed to the success of my research. Archivist Joanie Gearin was especially helpful in finding Portsmouth Navy Yard records and managing the carts of boxes and binders that I “mined” during my many visits to NARA Waltham. Archivist Patrick Osbome at NARA College Park not only was supportive of my requests for files of the Navy’s technical bureaus, but also encouraged me to expand my search into the files of the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations and the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Tara Williams, Collection Manager at Strawbery Banke graciously made normally closed files available at the Thayer Cummings Library and Archives. Nancy Mason, Special Collections Assistant at the Milne Special Collections and Archives at the University of New Hampshire, was especially helpful in reproducing the shipyard photographs used in the dissertation. Walter Ross, William Tebo, and Dennis O’Keeffe were particularly accommodating, hospitable, and entertaining during my visits to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum. A special thank you goes to the individuals who consented to be interviewed for this dissertation. The interviews with Frederick White, Percy Whitney, William Tebo, iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Eileen Dondero Foley, and Dan Maclssac gave meaning and life to thousands of pages of yellowed paper and hundreds of old photographs. Their contributions added greatly to the quality of the dissertation. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Susan, for proof reading numerous drafts and offering recommendations and encouragement. I am deeply indebted to her for the patience and understanding she showed in granting me endless hours of our retirement time to pursue a dream. Lastly, I want to thank my loyal project assistant, Molly. Ever present during long hours on the computer, always eager to listen to new ideas, and frequently reminding me, with a nudge of her nose, when it was time for us to balance work with play, she was even more faithful and supportive than the average Golden Retriever. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.......................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................... viii LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................... x ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................xii CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1 II. BETWEEN THE WARS......................................................................................37 Submarine Disarmament ............................................................................... 42 Neutrality........................................................................................................54 The New Deal ........................................................................ 68 Portsmouth Navy Yard Operations (1920-1940) ................ 85 III. RAMP-UP.............................................................. 106 Facilities Ramp-up .......................................................................................112 Off-Y ard Growth ......................................... 123 Employment Ramp-up .................................................................................129 Ramp-up of Submarine Orders. ................................................................ 131 IV. MANAGEMENT & EMPLOYEES.................................................................135 Management .......................................................................... ......................144 Loose Corporate Oversight of Navy Yards .................................. 146 A Relatively Small Yard.................................................................156 Well Defined Mission ........................................................... 158 Effective Leadership ......................... 163 Complimentary Leadership Styles ............................................... 167 Senior Management Continuity ..................................................... 173 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Employees ........................................ ...........................................................Ill Women Employees ......................................................................... 192 Selective Service ............................................................................. 205 V. METHODS & MEASURABLES.................................................................... 209 Methods ....................................................................................................... 210 Training ...........................................................................................212 Special T earns .................................................................................217 An Assembly Line of Sorts ............................................................ 220 Risk Management ..........................................................................227 Innovation ...................................................................................... 241 Communication and Control .......................................................... 245 Farm-out Programs ........................................................................251 Lean Manufacturing ........................................................................253 Measurables ;.......................................................................................255 Production ...................................................................................... 255 Costs .................................................................................................260 Quality........................