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subjects which appealed to him. In 1880, the Sperry Electric Co., manufacturers of arc lamps, dynamos and other electrical equipment, was founded by Mr. Sperry in Chicago. The Sperry Electric Co., Cleveland, which grew out of Mr. Sperry’s de- signs of electric carriages and which was established by him in 1890, was sold in 1894 to the General Electric Co. As the result of great inventive genius, the contributions of Mr. Sperry to the marine field and others have been of great and lasting value. The 400 patents which he holds in the United States and in Europe in- clude the gyro-compass, stabilizers for airplanes and ships, a searchlight of the highest intensity known, gas en- gine and fire control apparatus and ELMER A. SPERRY numerous special devices, principally for the United States navy. In 1883 a beacon of 40,000 candlepower in- tensity and approximately 350 feet high—the highest in the world—was erected by Mr. Sperry on Lake Mich- igan. The first chain mining machine was produced by him in 1888, followed by his development of detinning and electrochemical processes which play an important role in industry. Since 1910, he has been president of the Sperry Gyroscope Co., Brook- lyn, which concern manufactures his inventions. Mr. Sperry’s innumerable inven- tions have resulted in making him the recipient of many national. and inter- national awards and prizes. In 1914, he was awarded the first prize of the Aero club of France and in the same year the Franklin medal in Philadel- phia. At the San Francisco exposi- tion in 1915 he received the grand 134 prize for the gyro-compass and gyro- scope. The year later he was award- ed the Collier trophy for drift set and the Scientific American medal. He was decorated by the ex-Czar Nicholas of Russia for his great inventive con- tributions to naval equipment. For a great many years, Mr. Sperry has been a member of the naval con- sulting board, chairman of the com- mission on aeronautics, mines and torpedoes and chairman of the com- mission on aids to navigation. He was a founder of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers as well as a founder of the American Electro- Chemical society. He holds member- ship in many scientific societies in- cluding the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Chem- ical society, Society of Naval Archi- tects and Marine Engineers, Society of Automotive Engineers, National Aeronautic association, Franklin In- stitute and is an ex-president of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science. Mr. Sperry is a member of the Engineers club, the Aero Club of America, Marine and Field club, the Engineers Golf and Country club, and the St. Albans Golf and Country club. Homer L. Ferguson OMER L. FERGUSON was born in Waynesville, N. C., March 6, 1878, the son of William Burder and Laura Adelaide Ferguson. Following graduation from the United States Naval academy in 1892 the scene of his studies was transferred to the Naval college at Greenwich, England where for three years, 1892-1895, his education and training in engineering continued. Having completed his scholastic career he was appointed assistant naval constructor and attached to the Columbian Iron Works at Baltimore in which position he remained from 1895 until 1896. From 1896 until 1899 he served as supervising naval constructor at the yard of Wolff & Zwicker, Portland, Oreg. The follow- ing year, 1899-1900 he served in a similar capacity in the navy yard at Bremerton, Wash. Joins Newport News Shipyard Continuing his career in the navy, he became superintending constructor at the Bath Iron Works, Bath, Me., remaining there from 1900 until 1902. From 1902 until 1904 he held the office of assistant superintending con- structor at the Newport News Ship- building and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va. In 1904 he was called to Washington where he served at the bureau of construction and repair of MARINE REVIEW—July, 1928 the navy department. Leaving Wash- ington in 1905, he resigned from the navy and returned to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., as superintendent of hull construction and later general manager, until 1915, since which time he has been president as well as general manager of the company. In 1923, when the reconditioning of the LEVIATHAN was carried out at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Mr. Ferguson exer- cised all his skill as a shipbuilder and executive in completing this gigantic task. Successful consummation of the work was made possible through his broad experience and training. His personality is such that it encourages the most energetic and wholehearted HOMER L. FERGUSON co-operation on the part of co-workers. Mr. Ferguson’s services. have not been confined to one field. A man of great executive ability, magnetic and masterful personality, he has been called into the organization of many affairs, both civic and national. He was president of the chamber of com- merce of the United States during 1919 and 1920, has been a member of the National Foreign Trade council, of the advisory committee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technol- ogy, and the Academy of Political Science. He is a member of the Society of Naval Engineers, and is now presi- dent of the Society of Naval Archi- tects and Marine Engineers. He is a member of the Engineers club of New York, the Army and Navy club, the Washington City club and the Westmoreland club of Richmond, Va.