Sir Stephen Joseph Pigott (January 30, 1880 – February 27, 1955) was an American-born British

mechanical Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

and marine engineer, and managing director of the Scottish shipbuilding firm

John Brown & Company John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a Scottish Naval architecture, marine engineering and shipbuilding firm. It built many notable and world-famous ships including , , , , , and ''Queen Elizabeth 2 (ship), Queen Elizabeth 2''. At its heig ...

. He was awarded the

ASME Medal The ASME Medal, created in 1920, is the highest award bestowed by the ASME (founded as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Board of Governors for "eminently distinguished engineering achievement". The award has been presented every year ...

in 1938. Pigott was born in

Cornwall, New York Cornwall is a Town (New York), town in Orange County, New York, United States, approximately north of New York City on the western shore of the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was at 12,884. Cornwall has become a Commuter t ...

, where he attended the local High School. Afterwards he started to work in various engineering jobs, among others at the Columbia Electric Vehicle Company and at the

E. W. Bliss Company The E. W. Bliss Company was a manufacturer of machine tools founded by Eliphalet Williams Bliss. The company was based in Brooklyn, New York and relocated to Hastings, Michigan in 1919. History In 1857, Bliss formed a partnership with John Mays. ...

in Brooklyn. After three years he started to study mechanical and marine engineering at the

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, where he obtained his engineering degree in 1903.ASME, "Obituary: Sir Stephen Joseph Pigott D.SC.," in: ''The Engineer.'' 1955/03/04. p. 312 After his graduation in 1903 he became assistant to Charles Gordon Curtis, assisting in the development of the impulse turbine for marine propulsion. In 1908 he moved to England on invitation of the

British Admiralty The Admiralty was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom that was responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Historically, its titular head was the Lord High Admiral of the ...

, where he started his lifelong career working at the Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm

. He worked his way up from designer to manager of the engine works, to local director in 1920. In 1934 he was appointed director, and in 1935 managing director, where he served until his retirement in 1948. His daughter Nancy married American politician

Estes Kefauver Carey Estes Kefauver ( ; July 26, 1903 – August 10, 1963) was an American politician from Tennessee. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939 to 1949 and in the U.S. Senate from 1949 until h ...

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External links

Stephen Joseph Pigott
at gracesguide.co.uk 1880 births 1955 deaths American mechanical engineers British marine engineers Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni People from Cornwall, New York ASME Medal recipients Engineers from New York (state) American emigrants to the United Kingdom {{US-mechanical-engineer-stub