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Salute to the Queen Mary's Chief Architect
 | Sir John Brown marine architect, and Dr. Jack Webster journalist, in front of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 1994. On this occasion, the shipbuilders of Glasgow convened to recognize his contributions to their community.
His outstanding accomplishments have since brought him knighthood and his generous, modest nature has won friendships throughout the world.
The cathedral-like grace of the Queen Mary is an eloquent tribute to her designer. We can be assured, as we enter the new millennium, that our legacy will be more than concrete and glass. Sir John Brown of Scotland has bequeathed to us a majestic twentieth-century liner.
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| On October 18, 1994, Sir John Brown received the highest honor given to citizens of Glasgow. On this occasion, he was presented with the Glasgow Loving Cup by the city's Lord Provost James Shields. |
59th Anniversary of the Queen Mary's Launch
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| The people of Long Beach revere Sir John Brown. In September 1993, he visited the Queen Mary with a host of British dignitaries including Clydebank Provost Alistair Macdonald. This week-long gala celebrating the 59th Anniversary of the Queen Mary's launch was made possible by the joint efforts of the Queen Mary Foundation and RMS Foundation, Inc. Above: During a special ceremony, Sir John Brown donated his first set of drafting tools to the archives of the Queen Mary. During Sir John Brown's stay on board the Queen Mary in 1993, at the age of 92, he was filmed in the documentary by Jack Webster, John Brown, the Man Who Drew A Legend. John Brown's rare blend of dignity and humor made him a favorite at social events on board. The author recalls his delight at seeing the after-engineroom. He quickly dispensed with his wheel chair and completed the tour on foot. |
Diamond Jubilee at the Polygon
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| Sir John Brown attended the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen Mary's launch at the Polygon Hotel in Southampton, September 1994. He was an honored speaker with former officers and crew including Commodore Geoffrey T. Marr and electrical engineer, C.W.R. Winter. Above: Sir John enjoys the company of guests attending the Jubilee. |
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| On my 1994 research trip to Britain, I had the privilege of being a guest speaker at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall where Sir John was honored by the leading shipbuilders of the city. Pictured above, top row from left: Mr. Neumann, Sir Robert Easton, Sir Ross Belch, Dr. Jack Webster, Lady McFarlane and front row from left: Lord McFarlane, Sir John Brown and Diane Rush. |
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| This photograph was taken during my visit at Sir John's Glasgow home in the spring of 1993. I was very happy to receive a portrait of him admiring a painting of the Queen Mary (pictured elsewhere on this page). |
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| "Uncle Jack" and I enjoying the Scottish Maritime Museum of Irvine. We are pictured with the oldest working steam yacht in Scotland, the Carola. This 1898 yacht is regularly chartered for special events. |
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| Sir John visiting Kilchattan on the scenic Island of Bute on Scotland's west coast. |
 | Having had many wonderful opportunities to meet with the man who created the icon of Long Beach, it is easy to see why the Queen Mary is endowed with human vitality.
How often I have wished to thank the builders of the world's great cathedrals. To me, the Queen Mary is a beautiful temple and I am content to have shared this sentiment with Sir John Brown. |
Sir John treated me to a cruise on the last sea-going paddle steamer, the Waverley. Our excursion took us from Southampton to Weymouth and back again. The cruise lasted the entire day and Uncle Jack conversed with passengers, many of whom attended the Jubilee event. Above: Author of RMS Queen Mary, The World's Favourite Liner, David Ellery and Sir John Brown. |  |