. ▁Navy ' s ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Y ards ▁and ▁D ock s ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Engine er ▁Corps . ▁Best ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁public ▁as ▁the ▁Father ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ' s ▁Se abe es , ▁More ell ' s ▁life ▁sp anned ▁eight ▁dec ades , ▁two ▁world ▁wars , ▁a ▁great ▁de pression ▁and ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁a ▁super power . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁distinguished ▁Naval ▁Officer , ▁a ▁brilliant ▁engineer , ▁an ▁industrial ▁giant ▁and ▁art ic ulate ▁national ▁sp okes man . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁More ell ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family ▁on ▁September ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁in ▁Salt ▁Lake ▁City , ▁Ut ah . ▁His ▁family ▁settled ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Missouri , ▁where ▁he ▁graduated ▁from ▁St . ▁Louis ' s ▁Central ▁High ▁School ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁his ▁class ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁four ▁year ▁scholar ship ▁to ▁Washington ▁University ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁Civil ▁Engineering ▁degree ▁from ▁Washington ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁n avy ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁directly ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁Lieutenant ▁Junior ▁Gra de ▁in ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁Civil ▁Engine er ▁Corps . ▁ ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁he ▁was ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁Az ores , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁an