Roderick Stephens Collection (Coll. 163)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview of the Collection

Biography of Roderick Stephens

Scope and Content

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Biography of Roderick Stephens

Roderick Stephens, Jr. (1909-1995) was a renown yachtsman of the twentieth century. Born in New York City in 1909 Stephens began his sailing career off Cape Cod in 1919. In 1928 Roderick Stephens left Cornell University after one year to work up through the ranks at the Henry Nevins boat yard on City Island. In 1933 he joined the yacht design firm of Sparkman and Stephens which had been co-founded by his brother Olin Stephens, II and Drake Sparkman. As a member of the firm Roderick Stephens oversaw domestic and foreign construction of all Sparkman and Stephens boats, and later became president. During World War II, he played a major role in the design of the DUKW, an amphibious Army vehicle that subsequently earned Mr. Stephens a United States Medal of Freedom.

In yachting, Roderick Stephens' racing career is legendary. One of his most notable wins was aboard DORADE, an innovative 52-foot yawl he and Olin designed and built in 1930. The yawl won numerous long-distance races, including the 1931 British Fastnet Race and in that same year, the Trans-Atlantic Race from Newport, R.I. With Olin as Captain the DORADE sailed a Northern route while the other contenders sailed South. DORADE arrived at the finish forty-eight hours before the other contenders. Stephens then proceeded to win the British Fastnet race. On the crew's return home, the DORADE crew was given a ticker-tape parade in New York City.

Roderick Stephens also aided in the design and sailing of the America's Cup defenders, RANGER in 1937; COLUMBIA in 1958, and CONSTELLATION in 1964, and was a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He belonged to several yacht clubs, including the New York Yacht Club, and was a former commodore of the Cruising Club of America. He was also an honorary member of the United States Naval Academy Fales Committee and was chairman of the New Ship Committee of the Sea Education Association.

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Scope and Content

The collection contains 34 logs, 8 navigator's notebooks, 7 scrapbooks, 2 guest registers as well as notes, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles.

The logs, navigator's notebooks and guest registers are primarily arranged by vessel: DORADE (Yawl); 1931 - 1934 for the Trans-Atlantic/ Fastnet Races, STORMY WEATHER (Yawl); 1935 for the Trans-Atlantic/ Fastnet Races, MUSTANG (Sloop); 1947 - 1968 Rod Stephens' personal yacht, and other yachts; 1940 - 1968 on which Stephens acted as navigator and or captain.

The remainder of the collection; 3 boxes, contains general papers, magazine and newspaper clippings, some bound in scrapbooks, regarding Roderick and Olin Stephens' (Roderick's brother) personal, business and yachting activities.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Available for use in the Manuscripts Division.

Restrictions on Use

Various copying restriction apply. Guidelines are available from the Manuscripts Division. See also: Mystic Seaport's copyright notice.

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Index Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the G. W. Blunt White Library. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Persons:

Corporate Entities:

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Occupations:

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Coll. 163, Manuscripts Collection, G. W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.