Gilbert T. Rude
Encyclopedia
Gilbert T. Rude was an officer in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey -- one of the ancestor organizations of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) -- and the United States Navy
. He served as Chief of the Division of Coastal Surveys in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. A NOAA ship was named for him.
, Virginia
, on September 13, 1881, and received his education at Washington College
in Chestertown
, Maryland
.
schooner
USC&GS Matchless
, then in 1905 transferred to a two-year tour of duty in the Philippine Islands. In 1907, he began an eight-year tour as commanding officer
of the survey ship USC&GS Taku
in the Territory of Alaska. From 1915 to 1917, he commanded the survey ship USC&GS Isis
on the United States East Coast.
entered World War I
in 1917, he was transferred to the United States Navy
, serving first as commanding officer of USS Isis -- the former USC&GS Isis, temporarily in U.S. Navy service in the New York City
area as a cruiser
squadron
flagship
-- and then as navigating
officer on the troop transport USS Mercury (ID-3012)
.
s, and during his service as Chief of Tides and Currents, his interest in this first hobby bore fruit in his division, as it started the standard tide gauge
and developed a new portable automatic tide gauge. He wrote many articles and publications relating to tides and currents
, and for one entitled "Tides and Their Engineering Aspects" the American Society of Civil Engineers
presented him with the Norman Medal
in 1929.
From August 1928 to March 1931, Rude was inspector of construction of the Coast and Geodetic survey ship USC&GS Hydrographer, which he delivered to Washington, D.C.
in April 1931. He then became Chief of Coastal Surveys, which position he held until retirement. Some of the outstanding developments and improvements of the Division of Coastal Surveys during his tour as its chief were the advancement of echo sounding
; the development of submarine valley surveys; the use of taut wire; the use of radio acoustic ranging; the study and development of radar
for use in surveying
; the construction of the new survey ships USC&GS Explorer, USC&GS Pathfinder (OSS-30), USC&GS Lester Jones (ASV-79)
, USC&GS Patton (ASV-80)
, USC&GS Hilgard
, and USC&GS Wainwright
, and the acquisition of the survey ships USC&GS Parker, USC&GS Stirni, and USC&GS Sosbee.
Captain Rude took an active part in scientific meetings and attended several of the International Hydrographic Bureau meetings at Monaco
. His invention, the Mariners Practical Star Finder and Identifier, was purchased by the U.S. Navy and is furnished to all its vessels. He retired with the rank of captain
.
Captain Rude was a member of several engineering and scientific societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, Philosophical Society of Washington
, the Association of American Geographers
, the Society of American Military Engineers
, the International Aeroarctic Society, and others.
During his service in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Captain Rude was untiring in his efforts to improve surveying methods and equipment and he was always alert to encourage others to do likewise.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(NOAA) -- and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He served as Chief of the Division of Coastal Surveys in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. A NOAA ship was named for him.
Early life
Rude was born in SharpsSharps, Virginia
Sharps is an unincorporated community in Richmond County, Virginia. It lies at an elevation of 30 feet ....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, on September 13, 1881, and received his education at Washington College
Washington College
Washington College is a private, independent liberal arts college located on a campus in Chestertown, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782...
in Chestertown
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Early U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey career, 1903-1917
Rude entered the Coast and Geodetic Survey as a deck officer on January 19, 1903. Upon entering service in the Survey, he served two years aboard the surveyHydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling and related disciplines. Strong emphasis is placed on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, sea floor and submerged...
schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
USC&GS Matchless
USC&GS Matchless
USC&GS Matchless was a schooner that served as a survey ship in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1885 to 1919. She was the only Coast and Geodetic Survey ship to bear the name and the last sailing vessel owned and operated by the Survey....
, then in 1905 transferred to a two-year tour of duty in the Philippine Islands. In 1907, he began an eight-year tour as commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the survey ship USC&GS Taku
USC&GS Taku
USC&GS Taku was a United States Coast and Geodetic Survey survey ship in service from 1898 to 1917. She was the only Coast and Geodetic Survey ship to bear the name....
in the Territory of Alaska. From 1915 to 1917, he commanded the survey ship USC&GS Isis
USC&GS Isis
USC&GS Isis was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1915 to 1917 and from 1919 to 1920.-Construction:...
on the United States East Coast.
World War I U.S. Navy service, 1917-1919
When the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917, he was transferred to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, serving first as commanding officer of USS Isis -- the former USC&GS Isis, temporarily in U.S. Navy service in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area as a cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
squadron
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
-- and then as navigating
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
officer on the troop transport USS Mercury (ID-3012)
USS Mercury (ID-3012)
USS Mercury was a United States Navy transport ship during World War I. She was formerly the Norddeutscher Lloyd liner SS Barbarossa built by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg, Germany, in 1897, and operated by the North German Lloyd Line....
.
U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey career from 1919
Rude was transferred back to the Coast and Geodetic Survey in March 1919 and became Chief of what was then the Section of Tides and Currents, which under his guidance soon was upgraded to a division. In his early boyhood he had been interested in a "gadget" installed on the waterfront near his home which measured the tideTide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s, and during his service as Chief of Tides and Currents, his interest in this first hobby bore fruit in his division, as it started the standard tide gauge
Tide gauge
A tide gauge is a device for measuring sea level and detecting tsunamis.Sensors continuously record the height of the water level with respect to a height reference surface close to the geoid...
and developed a new portable automatic tide gauge. He wrote many articles and publications relating to tides and currents
Ocean current
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow, such as breaking waves, wind, Coriolis effect, cabbeling, temperature and salinity differences and tides caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun...
, and for one entitled "Tides and Their Engineering Aspects" the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
presented him with the Norman Medal
Norman Medal
The Norman Medal is the highest honor granted by the American Society of Civil Engineers for a technical paper that "makes a definitive contribution to engineering science"....
in 1929.
From August 1928 to March 1931, Rude was inspector of construction of the Coast and Geodetic survey ship USC&GS Hydrographer, which he delivered to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in April 1931. He then became Chief of Coastal Surveys, which position he held until retirement. Some of the outstanding developments and improvements of the Division of Coastal Surveys during his tour as its chief were the advancement of echo sounding
Echo sounding
Echo sounding is the technique of using sound pulses directed from the surface or from a submarine vertically down to measure the distance to the bottom by means of sound waves. This information is then typically used for navigation purposes or in order to obtain depths for charting purposes...
; the development of submarine valley surveys; the use of taut wire; the use of radio acoustic ranging; the study and development of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
for use in surveying
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
; the construction of the new survey ships USC&GS Explorer, USC&GS Pathfinder (OSS-30), USC&GS Lester Jones (ASV-79)
USC&GS Lester Jones (ASV-79)
USC&GS Lester Jones was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1940 to 1967.Lester Jones was built by Astoria Marine Company at Astoria, Oregon in 1940 and entered Coast and Geodetic Survey that year...
, USC&GS Patton (ASV-80)
USC&GS Patton (ASV-80)
USC&GS Patton was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1941 to 1967.Patton was built in 1941, presumably by Astoria Marine Company at Astoria, Oregon, which built her sister ship, the survey ship USC&GS Lester Jones , in 1940...
, USC&GS Hilgard
USC&GS Hilgard (1942)
USC&GS Hilgard was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1942 to 1967.Hilgard was built by Robinson Marine at Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1942....
, and USC&GS Wainwright
USC&GS Wainwright (1942)
USC&GS Wainwright was a survey ship that served in the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey from 1942 to 1967.Wainwright was built by Robinson Marine at Benton Harbor, Michigan, in 1942....
, and the acquisition of the survey ships USC&GS Parker, USC&GS Stirni, and USC&GS Sosbee.
Captain Rude took an active part in scientific meetings and attended several of the International Hydrographic Bureau meetings at Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. His invention, the Mariners Practical Star Finder and Identifier, was purchased by the U.S. Navy and is furnished to all its vessels. He retired with the rank of captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
.
Captain Rude was a member of several engineering and scientific societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, Philosophical Society of Washington
Philosophical Society of Washington
The Philosophical Society of Washington is the oldest scientific society in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1871 by Joseph Henry.Its aims are "the promotion of science, the advancement of learning, and the free exchange of views among its members on scientific subjects."Since 1887, the regular...
, the Association of American Geographers
Association of American Geographers
The Association of American Geographers is a non-profit scientific and educational society founded in 1904 and aimed at advancing the understanding, study, and importance of geography and related fields...
, the Society of American Military Engineers
Society of American Military Engineers
The Society of American Military Engineers is an organization for military engineering professionals. According to its , SAME was formed “in the interest of National Defense… bringing together all phases of U.S...
, the International Aeroarctic Society, and others.
During his service in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Captain Rude was untiring in his efforts to improve surveying methods and equipment and he was always alert to encourage others to do likewise.