William H. Webb Medal

Outstanding Contributions to Education in Naval Architecture, Marine or Ocean Engineering

The 2017 Webb Medalist

Dr. Bruce Johnson

Dr Bruce Johnson

For 35 years Professor Emeritus Bruce Johnson served as a leading educator at the United States Naval Academy (USNA), Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department, developing future generations of highly skilled and successful Naval Engineers. Beginning in 1966 Professor Johnson lobbied for the development of new test facilities to enhance the student hands-on educational experience at Rickover Hall, became project manager for the Hydromechanics Laboratory and served as Director and then Program Director of Ocean Engineering.

During his years at USNA and continuing after retirement in 1999, Professor Johnson performed fundamental research in allied fields including fluid mechanics, hydrodynamics, naval architecture, ocean wave mechanics, time series analysis, and engineering economic analysis. He served as the Naval Sea Systems Command Professor of Hydromechanics overseeing numerous projects. Professor Johnson is currently Co-Chair of the Editorial Board for the new SNAME Textbook Series and first author of Hydrostatics and Stability of Marine Vehicles and Offshore Floating Systems to be published in 2018. He coauthored Introduction to Naval Architecture and contributed to the 5th (co-author), 6th, and 7th editions of Engineering Economic Analysis and the 2nd edition of Introduction to Naval Engineering.

Professor Johnson has authored and co-authored over 40 professional technical papers with SNAME (VADM Cochrane Award 2014) and other societies creating an unparalleled body of work with a recent focus on fishing and sailing vessel stability for use by students, practitioners, and operators. For the last 16 years, Professor Johnson has served as Co-Chair of the SNAME Working Vessel Operations and Safety Panel. For 42 years he has served on various forms of the International Towing Tank Conference Symbols and Terminology Group. For these outstanding achievements spanning a lifetime, Professor Emeritus Bruce Johnson is most worthy of recognition with the William H. Webb Medal.

Established by the Executive Committee in 1987.

The award will be for "Outstanding Contributions to Education in Naval Architecture, Marine or Ocean Engineering". "The title will be "The Webb Medal. "The medal will be made of gold-plated bronze, approximately 2 1/2 inches (6.25 cm) in diameter, the obverse side showing a profile of William H. Webb and the reverse side carrying an inscription of the award. Eligibility for the medal need not be limited to membership in the Society. The proposal for this award may be made by a member of the Society in good standing. The selection of the nominee for the award shall be made by the Awards Committee of the Society. The nomination by the Committee and the final award by the Council will require a two-thirds vote of the Committee and of the Council. Notification of the award will be made prior to the Annual Meeting and the medal will be presented with suitable ceremonies at the Annual Meeting or at such time as the President of the Society may arrange. The medal may be awarded annually but not more often.


Medals and awards Nomination Form

Webb Medalists

2017      Dr. Bruce Johnson

2015      Dr. Alan J. Brown

2013      Henry S. Marcus

2011      Jacques B. Hadler

2009      William S. Vorus 

2007      Roger H. Compton

2005      Robert E. Randall

2003      Michael G. Parsons

2001      Robert B. Zubaly

1999      Walter M. Maclean

1997      José Femenia

1995      Moses Hirschkowitz

1993      Howard M. Bunch

1991      Amelio M. D’Arcangelo*

1989      T. Francis Ogilvie