Andrew Higgins - Built Boats to Win the War

Born: August 28, 1886, Columbus, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Died: August 1, 1952, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.

Andrew Jackson Higgins was an inventive boat builder whose designs gave the Allies the tools they needed to win World War II.

Andrew Jackson Higgins was born on August 28, 1886, in Columbus, Nebraska. His early life was difficult. When Andrew was only seven, his father died, leaving the family without much money. His mother moved the children to Omaha, where Andrew quickly showed his entrepreneurial spirit. By age nine, he had started a lawn service and ran several paper routes, hiring older boys to do the heavy work. At just twelve years old, Andrew designed and built his first boat in the basement of his home.

Higgins attended Creighton Prep in Omaha but left after his junior year to join the Nebraska National Guard. There, he first experienced amphibious training on the Platte River. This training, along with his fascination with boats, would shape his future. In 1906, Andrew moved south to work in the lumber and shipping industries. He eventually settled in New Orleans, where he began experimenting with boat designs while running a lumber company.

In 1922, Higgins founded the Higgins Lumber and Export Company, later renamed Higgins Industries. At first, his company focused on shipping and lumber. But Andrew’s true passion was boats. He designed vessels that could handle the shallow, muddy waters of the Louisiana bayous. His “Eureka” boat, developed in the 1930s, was fast, strong, and maneuverable. It quickly caught the attention of the U.S. military.

When World War II broke out, the U.S. needed a way to land troops and vehicles directly onto beaches instead of relying on heavily defended ports. Higgins adapted his Eureka design to create a new kind of landing craft. His most famous invention was the LCVP, Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel, better known as the “Higgins Boat.” This flat-bottomed vessel could carry 36 soldiers, a Jeep and 12 men, or up to 8,000 pounds of cargo. It had a crew of four, could travel in only three feet of water, and had a ramp that allowed soldiers and vehicles to rush directly onto shore.

The Higgins Boat completely changed how wars were fought. Instead of being forced to attack ports, Allied forces could land on open beaches, surprising their enemies and giving themselves more options. Higgins Boats were used in every theater of World War II, in North Africa, Italy, France, and the Pacific Islands. Most famously, thousands of Higgins Boats carried American soldiers onto the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. General Dwight Eisenhower once said that Andrew Higgins was “the man who won the war for us.” Even Adolf Hitler called Higgins “the new Noah.”

By the end of the war, Higgins Industries had produced over 20,000 landing craft, making up more than 90 percent of the U.S. Navy’s fleet. His workforce grew from only 75 people in 1938 to over 20,000 by 1943. Higgins was also ahead of his time in how he treated workers. His company was the first in New Orleans to be racially integrated, hiring women, African Americans, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Everyone was paid equally according to the work they did. His employees responded with loyalty and record-breaking production.

In addition to landing craft, Higgins and his company also built high-speed patrol torpedo (PT) boats and other naval equipment. Over his career, Higgins held 18 patents and received honors from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Despite facing hurricanes, financial losses, and setbacks throughout his life, he never gave up on his vision.

Andrew Jackson Higgins died on August 1, 1952, but his legacy lives on. His boats not only helped win the most important war of the 20th century but also proved how innovation, hard work, and fairness can change the course of history.

References:
“Andrew Higgins.” The National Inventors Hall of Fame, www.invent.org/inductees/andrew-higgins.
“Andrew Jackson Higgins’ Life.” Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial, 2 Oct. 2019, andrewjacksonhigginsmemorialfoundation.org/andrew-jackson-higgins-life.
“Research Starters: Higgins Boats.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-higgins-boats.

Keywords:
Engineering, Wartime, Creativity, Perseverance, Achievement, Responsibility, Make a Difference, Take Risks for Others

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