1,000-foot ocean liner. After overcoming resistance in the Truman administration for government involvement and competing designs, Gibbs & Cox was awarded the contract to design and supervise the construction of the . This ship was the culmination of Gibbs career, and he was fastidious in the incorporation of fire safety concepts, to the point that the United States surpassed most present day passenger ships in fire prevention and containment. The design was also revolutionary in the use of lightweight materials and construction techniques, including a welded hull and aluminum superstructure. While rivaling the largest liners for physical size, she was much lighter, enabling higher speeds. The United States entered service in 1952, after five years of design and 28 months of construction. On her maiden voyage, she won the Blue Riband as the fastest ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, averaging , and reducing the crossing time by 10 hours. Between 1952 and 1969, the ship completed 400 voyages, with an excellent safety record. She was the largest liner ever built in the United States and the fastest liner built anywhere. While fast and safe, she was panned by some passengers, as the use of exclusively fireproof materials in the décor and furnishings limited the aesthetic and luxury appeal. In remarks accepting the Franklin Medal for his work in designing the United States, after recounting the ship's many achievements and the efforts of so many in making those achievements possible, Gibbs stated "My sole contribution in this performance is the fact that I took the responsibility for failure." Later years In 1953 Gibbs was awarded the Franklin Institute's Franklin Medal. In 1955 he was awarded the first Elmer A. Sperry Award. He died in New York City on September 6, 1967, two weeks after his 81st birthday. Fulton-Gibbs Hall, the marine engineering building at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, is named in honor or Gibbs, along with Robert Fulton. The Gibbs Brothers Medal, awarded by the United States National Academy of Sciences for outstanding contributions in the field of naval architecture and marine engineering, was established by a gift from Gibbs and his brother. References Further reading 1886 births 1967 deaths Harvard College alumni Columbia Law School alumni Engineers from Pennsylvania American naval architects Burials at Princeton Cemetery Benjamin Franklin Medal (Franklin Institute) laureates