Robert Dexter Conrad

Robert Dexter Conrad
Born	March 20, 1905 Orange, Massachusetts,U.S.
Died	July 26, 1949(1949-07-26)(aged 44) New York City, New York,U.S.
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1927–1947
Rank	Captain
Unit	Director of the Planning Division, Office of Research and Inventions
Awards	Legion of Merit Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Robert Dexter Conrad(March 20, 1905 – July 26, 1949) was aUnited States Navyofficer. He graduated from theUnited States Naval Academyand was commissioned as anensignin June 1927.

Naval career

Following duty onboardUSSFlorida(BB-30),he attended the Postgraduate School atAnnapolis, Maryland,and earned a Master of Science degree innaval architectureatMassachusetts Institute of Technologyin June 1932.

Then ordered to thePortsmouth Navy Yard(New Hampshire), he served there until the fall of 1933 when he took a leave of absence to study atCambridge University,England.

Returning to theUnited States,he served in the Design and Construction Division and in the Research and Information Section of theBureau of Construction and Repair;then, from August 1937 to June 1939, at the Experimental Model Basin atWashington, D.C.Duty atMare Islandfollowed and in November 1940 he was appointed AssistantNaval Attaché,later Special Naval Observer, at theAmerican Embassy,London.

World War II service

In January 1942 he returned to Washington, D.C. Initially in theBureau of Ships,he became Head of the Progress and Planning Section in the Office of the Coordinator of Research and Development, Office of theSecretary of the Navyin April and remained in that post until May 1945.

He was awarded theLegion of Meritfor his work during that period. After the end of the war inEurope,Captain Conrad continued his research work through many organizational changes, and was eventually designated Director of the Planning Division, Office of Research and Inventions, later theOffice of Naval Research.He was awarded theNavy Distinguished Service Medalfor his work both during and after the Second World War.

Retirement

Captain Conrad retired in 1947 and died inNew York Cityon July 26, 1949.

Award named in his honor

The Navy's top scientific award, an annual award to the individual making an outstanding contribution in naval research and development bears Captain Conrad's name: theCaptain Robert Dexter Conrad Award.

Ship naming

TheUSNSRobert D. Conrad(T-AGOR-3),a research ship operated byColumbia University,was named in his honor.

References

This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.

External links

• Robert Dexter Conrad Papers, 1909-1961 MS 203held by Special Collection & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy