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 Architecture, 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 e ...

, 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 Leominster High School (also known as Leominster High or LHS) is a public high school located in Leominster, Massachusetts, United States. It is the only secondary educational institution found in Leominster. It is situated in a mixed-industrial-r ...

. 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 The Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is a distance learning school of yacht design in Bath, Maine, United States, established in 1930. Graduates of the school receive the Westlawn Diploma in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering and Yacht D ...

. 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, 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, supervi ...

in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

, 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 Frederick Emmart Hood (May 5, 1927 — June 28, 2013) was an American yachtsman and naval architect. He founded the sailmaker Hood Sails in Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1952. Hood Sails operated until purchased by Quantum Sails in 2017. Hood fo ...

. 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 The ''Lilly B'' is a ferry owned by Bustins Island, Maine, United States. It runs several times daily between South Freeport and Bustins Island from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. It is named for Lilly May Brewer (1906–1977), who, along with he ...

'', a ferry that runs between

South Freeport, Maine South Freeport is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated village in the town of Freeport, Maine, Freeport, Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The community is located on Casco Bay, south of Freeport (CDP), Maine, t ...

, and nearby

Bustins Island Bustins Island is an island in inner Casco Bay, Maine, United States. It is part of the town of Freeport, in Cumberland County. Although physically located within Freeport, the Bustins Island Village Corporation is a self-governing entity. The i ...

Personal life

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

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

,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