Eliot Amsden "Al" Spalding (December 12, 1932 – May 6, 2022) was an American

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Occupations ...

. He designed and surveyed boats that were built throughout the United States and in twenty other countries. He was chief designer at John G. Alden, Inc. for fifteen years.

Life and career

Spalding was born in

Fitchburg, Massachusetts Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private ...

, to Roland Spalding and Esther Amsden, their second of two children, following his sister Carolyn. Carolyn died in 2019, aged 91. He grew up in nearby

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...

, graduating from Leominster High School. He then studied

technical drawing Technical drawing, drafting or drawing, is the act and Academic discipline, discipline of composing Plan (drawing), drawings that Visual communication, visually communicate how something functions or is constructed. Technical drawing is essent ...

at Worcester Trade School and graduated from the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Spalding was a

staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administrative, supe ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

, serving in Germany with the 1st Division. Spalding began working for John G. Alden, Inc., in Boston, where he spent fifteen years as a naval architect. He became the firm's chief designer. He was also principal partner with Andel Associates, Lowell and Spalding and Marbridge Associates, as well as working with John Gilbert and Ted Hood. He also worked as a marine consultant and led courses teaching naval architecture and marine surveying, and was self-employed for a period. Several of Spalding's designs were featured in national and international magazines and journals. File:Lilly B ferry.jpg, The Spalding-designed '' Lilly B'', a ferry that runs between South Freeport, Maine, and nearby Bustins Island

Personal life

Spalding married Sue Crabtree, with whom he had two sons: Sam and Andy. He was a lifelong summer resident of Bustins Island,

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

,An Owner's and Renter's Guide to Bustins Island, Summer 2011
- BIVC.net for whose village committee his wife is the clerk. It is believed his passion for boats was formed there. Spalding was a keen musician. He was banjo player with the Royal River Philharmonic Jazz Band for almost thirty years, and was a regular listener of WYAR, a heritage radio station in

Yarmouth, Maine Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, twelve miles north of the state's largest city, Portland. When originally settled in 1636, as North Yarmouth, it was part of Massachusetts, and remained as such for 213 years. In 1849, ...

Death

Spalding died in 2022, aged 89.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spalding, Al 1932 births 2022 deaths Engineers from Massachusetts American naval architects People from Fitchburg, Massachusetts Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology alumni