Zeke Zechella
Encyclopedia
Alexander Philip "Zeke" Zechella (August 11, 1920 - August 15, 2009) was a United States Navy
veteran and pioneer in the usage of nuclear energy who headed several major companies before retiring in Jacksonville, Florida
and assisting local non-profit agencies.
, where he was born. He excelled at both academics and athletics and graduated from Newport High School in 1938 as class president. He wanted to become a doctor and received a football scholarship to the University of Kentucky
. During his first year there, he realized he could not pay for medical school, so he secured an appointment to the United States Naval Academy
. While at Annapolis, Zechella married his longtime sweetheart, Jean Millicent Bary on June 24, 1942. He played football and graduated in 1943, was commissioned an Ensign and served on Destroyer
s in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters during World War II
. His first assignment was assistant engineering officer on the USS Greer (DD-145)
.
His son Bary Alexander was born in 1944. When the war ended, he was XO on the USS Ringgold (DD-500)
.
He remained in the Navy and earned a Master's degree
in civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in 1948. His first daughter, Pamela Lynn was born when the family was stationed in Long Beach, California. Zechella utilized his engineering knowledge while he was in charge of construction projects at Navy bases in Alaska,
then served with the Seabee
s during the Korean War
.
Zechella resigned his commission and left the Navy in 1953. He was hired by Westinghouse Electric Company
, working at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
in Pennsylvania. He worked as a design engineer on the USS Nautilus
, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine
, then was instrumental in the building of the USS Enterprise
, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
. For the Enterprise, he was responsible for building the prototype engineering plant, then installed the ship's eight nuclear reactors. His youngest child, Amy Louise, was born during this period. He was appointed general manager of the Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory
in 1969. The lab was founded in the late 1950s to develop nuclear space propulsion technology for the government.
(OPS) in 1972 when plant construction began. OPS was a 1970 joint venture between Westinghouse and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, who had recently merged with Tenneco
. Their goal was to build floating nuclear power plants
from a facility at Jacksonville, Florida
. The completed plants were to be towed by ocean tugboats
to their permanent locations, then anchored and protected by a massive concrete breakwater
composed of 18,000 dolosses
, each weighing 80 tons, designed to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, moderate earthquakes and collision by a loaded tanker. However, outside forces seemed to conspire against it. A combination of nuclear regulations and no license, questions about the safety of nuclear power, the 1973 oil crisis
, the 1973–75 recession
and escalating costs caused the failure of the endeavor. A frustrated Zechella left OPS and retired as a Westinghouse Vice President in 1980 after 27 years at the company. Offshore Power Systems finally shut down in 1984.
, a Jacksonville conglomerate and Fortune 500
company. When four senior Charter executives were killed in a helicopter crash in 1982, Zechella became company president and CEO, but retired at age 65 in 1985.
; he served many years on the TPC Charities board. He pushed for the building of the Nancy Reagan TPC Village, a facility to provide substance-abuse treatment for teenagers, then served as board chairman for several years. He was a partner in the Environmental Recovery Group at Mayport, a trustee of Jacksonville University
, and helped found the St. Vincent's Foundation of St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville. He also served on the board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (now known as the National Conference for Community and Justice
).
In his final years, he suffered from Parkinson's disease
and died at age 89.
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...
veteran and pioneer in the usage of nuclear energy who headed several major companies before retiring in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
and assisting local non-profit agencies.
Early years
His parents, Nicholas and Cecelia Rizzi Zechella were Italian immigrants who settled in Newport, KentuckyNewport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
, where he was born. He excelled at both academics and athletics and graduated from Newport High School in 1938 as class president. He wanted to become a doctor and received a football scholarship to the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. During his first year there, he realized he could not pay for medical school, so he secured an appointment to the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. While at Annapolis, Zechella married his longtime sweetheart, Jean Millicent Bary on June 24, 1942. He played football and graduated in 1943, was commissioned an Ensign and served on Destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His first assignment was assistant engineering officer on the USS Greer (DD-145)
USS Greer (DD-145)
USS Greer was a Wickes class destroyer in the United States Navy, the first ship named for Rear Admiral James A. Greer . In what became known as the "Greer Incident," she became the first U.S. Navy ship to fire on a German ship, three months before the United States officially entered World War...
.
His son Bary Alexander was born in 1944. When the war ended, he was XO on the USS Ringgold (DD-500)
USS Ringgold (DD-500)
USS Ringgold , a , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Rear Admiral Cadwalader Ringgold ....
.
He remained in the Navy and earned a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in civil engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in 1948. His first daughter, Pamela Lynn was born when the family was stationed in Long Beach, California. Zechella utilized his engineering knowledge while he was in charge of construction projects at Navy bases in Alaska,
then served with the Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
s during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Westinghouse
Lieutenant CommanderLieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Zechella resigned his commission and left the Navy in 1953. He was hired by Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC is a nuclear power company, offering a wide range of nuclear products and services to utilities throughout the world, including nuclear fuel, service and maintenance, instrumentation and control and advanced nuclear plant designs...
, working at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory
Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory is a U.S. Government-owned, contractor-operated research and development facility located in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania. It solely focuses on the design and development of nuclear power for the U.S. Navy....
in Pennsylvania. He worked as a design engineer on the USS Nautilus
USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...
, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, then was instrumental in the building of the USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...
, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
. For the Enterprise, he was responsible for building the prototype engineering plant, then installed the ship's eight nuclear reactors. His youngest child, Amy Louise, was born during this period. He was appointed general manager of the Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory
Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory
The Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory was a division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Established in the late 1959 to develop nuclear space propulsion technologies for the government, the lab was located, for most of its history, in the paradoxically small town of "Large" along Pa. Rte 51,...
in 1969. The lab was founded in the late 1950s to develop nuclear space propulsion technology for the government.
OPS
Zechella began serving as president of Offshore Power SystemsOffshore Power Systems
Offshore Power Systems was a 1970 joint venture between Westinghouse Electric Company, which constructed nuclear generating plants, and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, which had recently merged with Tenneco, to create floating nuclear power plants at Jacksonville, Florida.-History:The MH-1A...
(OPS) in 1972 when plant construction began. OPS was a 1970 joint venture between Westinghouse and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock, who had recently merged with Tenneco
Tenneco
Tenneco is a $6.2 billion Fortune 500 company that has been publicly traded on the NYSE since November 5, 1999 under the symbol TEN...
. Their goal was to build floating nuclear power plants
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
from a facility at Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. The completed plants were to be towed by ocean tugboats
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
to their permanent locations, then anchored and protected by a massive concrete breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
composed of 18,000 dolosses
Dolos
A dolos is a concrete block in a complex geometric shape weighing up to 20 tons, used in great numbers to protect harbour walls from the erosive force of ocean waves...
, each weighing 80 tons, designed to withstand hurricanes, tornadoes, moderate earthquakes and collision by a loaded tanker. However, outside forces seemed to conspire against it. A combination of nuclear regulations and no license, questions about the safety of nuclear power, the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, the 1973–75 recession
1973–75 recession
The 1973–75 recession in the United States or 1970s recession was a period of economic stagnation in much of the Western world during the 1970s, putting an end to the general post-World War II economic boom. It differed from many previous recessions as being a stagflation, where high unemployment...
and escalating costs caused the failure of the endeavor. A frustrated Zechella left OPS and retired as a Westinghouse Vice President in 1980 after 27 years at the company. Offshore Power Systems finally shut down in 1984.
Charter
In 1980, Zechella was hired by the Charter CompanyCharter Company
The Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
, a Jacksonville conglomerate and Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
company. When four senior Charter executives were killed in a helicopter crash in 1982, Zechella became company president and CEO, but retired at age 65 in 1985.
Retirement
Zechella was a golf enthusiast and a founding member of the Tournament Players ClubTournament Players Club
Tournament Players Club is a chain of public and private golf courses operated by the PGA Tour. Most of the courses either are or have been hosts for PGA Tour events, with the remainder having frequently hosted events on the second-tier Nationwide Tour or the over-50s Champions Tour.The first...
; he served many years on the TPC Charities board. He pushed for the building of the Nancy Reagan TPC Village, a facility to provide substance-abuse treatment for teenagers, then served as board chairman for several years. He was a partner in the Environmental Recovery Group at Mayport, a trustee of Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville University is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, on the banks of the St. Johns River. The school was founded in 1934 as a two year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until 1958, when it shifted its focus to four-year university degrees and adopted its...
, and helped found the St. Vincent's Foundation of St. Vincent's Hospital in Jacksonville. He also served on the board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews (now known as the National Conference for Community and Justice
National Conference for Community and Justice
The National Conference for Community and Justice is a national, human relations, non-profit organization in the United States. Its mission is to fight bias, bigotry, and racism and promote understanding and respect through advocacy, conflict resolution, and education.The NCCJ was founded in 1927...
).
In his final years, he suffered from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and died at age 89.