newportnewsshipbuilding

This was taken at USS Texas's launching ceremony on 18 May 1912 at Newport News, Virginia.

This was taken at USS Texas's launching ceremony on 18 May 1912 at Newport News, Virginia.

Secretary Meyer is George Von Lengerke Meyer. As SecNav he had a major role in overhauling the antiquated structure of the navy. See Patrician in the progressive era : a biography of George Von Lengerke Meyer, by Wayne Wiegand, for an excellent biography.

bellhalla and desert11sailor: Thanks to both of you for providing more details on the events taking place in this photograph. We will add to the descriptive information. There is an interesting article in the May 18, 1912 edition of the New York Times about this event here, which also includes information on the apparently controversial choice of choosing Miss Claudia Lyon to do the honors. She was the daughter of Cecil Lyon, an active opponent of then President Taft.

On March 17, 1915, the 15,000 ton superdreadnaught USS Pensylvania was launched at the Newport News (Virginia) Shipbuilding Drydock Company. It was the largest battleship ever launched anywhere in the world, Miss Elizabeth Ludoff Kolb (1896-1979) of Germantown, Pennsylvania, daughter of Louis J. Kolb of Philadelphia and a senior at National Park Seminary in Forest Glen, Maryland, had been invited to the launching ceremonies by Pennsylvania Governor Brumbaugh (term 1915-1919), who called her "the most beautiful and sweetest girl in Pennsylvania". Elizabeth was the official "sponsor" of the ship, which, as far as I can tell, means she offered the name for the ship. Nineteen years young, Elizabeth arrived with her maids of honor, fellow classmates Miss Katherine Kolb (1900–1979) (who was also her younger sister), Miss Katherine Martin and Miss Mildred Harold. Following the prayer and with the words "I Christen thee Pennsylvania", Miss Kolb broke a bottle of champagne on the bow and set in motion one of the greatest battleships of all time.

At the launching: