Genius and engineering: The naval constructors of France, Great Britain, and the United States

French,American and British warship designers know little about each other' s organizations, career paths, work habits, formation-in short, what makes each of them tick. There is a direct heritage which leads from the French G enie Maritime to the British Royal Corps of Naval Constructors to the Ameri can Navy's former Construction Corps, and over the course of their historie s they have greatly influenced each other. This paper compares the naval sh ip design organizations of France, Great Britain and the United States. It examines their historical development, compares the current organizations a nd design processes, the role of education and professional societies, and examines the naval constructors' careers and professional lives, including the results of a survey of the constructors in all three countries. It conc ludes with a justification for maintaining naval ship design organizations.