▁Ass istant ▁Secretary ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁named ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t , ▁and ▁afterwards ▁served ▁at ▁n avy ▁yards ▁and ▁install ations ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁H ait i , ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁Washington . ▁ ▁Inter war ▁period ▁ ▁More ell ▁was ▁sent ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant ▁commander ▁to ▁the ▁É cole ▁N ationale ▁des ▁Pont s ▁et ▁Ch auss ées ▁in ▁Paris ▁to ▁study ▁European ▁military ▁engineering ▁design ▁and ▁construction ▁practices . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁States ▁to ▁super v ise ▁what ▁would ▁eventually ▁be ▁called ▁the ▁David ▁W . ▁Taylor ▁Model ▁Bas in ▁in ▁Card ero ck , ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁President ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁selected ▁Commander ▁More ell ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Y ards ▁and ▁D ock s ▁and ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Civil ▁Engine ers ▁of ▁the ▁Navy . ▁This ▁advanced ▁More ell ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁rear ▁adm iral , ▁although ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁a ▁captain . ▁More ell ▁proposed ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁two ▁giant ▁dry d ock s ▁at ▁Pear l ▁Har bor ▁and ▁initi ated ▁naval ▁construction ▁projects ▁on ▁Mid way ▁At oll ▁and ▁W ake ▁Island , ▁long ▁before ▁Japanese ▁bomb s ▁began ▁to ▁fall ▁on ▁December ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁The ▁do cks ▁were ▁completed ▁in ▁time ▁to ▁repair ▁batt les hips ▁dam aged ▁at ▁Pear l ▁Har bor , ▁and