John Christian Kafer

Background

John Christian Kafer was born on December 27, 1842 in Trenton, New Jersey, United States.

Career

Kafer was appointed from his native state as a third assistant engineer in the United States Navy on January 16, 1863. From that time until the close of the Civil War he was constantly at the front, taking part in the James River campaign and the first attack on Fort Fisher. He was warranted second assistant engineer May 28, 1864. Following the war he was assigned to sea duty on the Kearsarge, then on the Susquehanna, and in 1868 became an instructor in steam engineering at the Naval Academy. He was engaged in this duty twice (1868-1874, 1876-1882), an aggregate of nearly ten years. Every class but one of the separate course for engineers came at some time under his tuition. He was a successful teacher, adding to his technical proficiency a great interest in young men. His pupils continued his friends through life. He taught before the development of the great engineering schools, at a time when much of the instruction had to be the original work of the instructor, and he was generally considered the ablest of them all. In 1885 he declined a professorship of engineering at Cornell University.

For a time he was assigned to the practice ship Despatch, and later, to the Bureau of Steam Engineering, where he was principal assistant to Engineer-in-Chief C. H. Loring and also, for a short time, to Engineer-in-Chief G. W. Melville. He had just previously been Melville's chief aid in the design of new machinery.

Kafer suffered for years from varicose veins, and in 1888 he was retired for physical disability. After his retirement he was general manager and vice-president of the Morgan Iron Works (John Roach & Sons) in New York and later vice-president of the Quintard Iron Works. A few weeks before his death he formed with two of his old pupils the firm of Kafer, Mattice & Warren, consulting engineers. He died at Trenton in his sixty-fourth year.

Kafer's service in the navy covered the period when the "Line and Staff" controversy was at its worst. His ability and professional pride marked him out as one of the leaders of the Staff. Among the broad-gauge men of both sides, however, this dispute was not personal, and Kafer counted some of his warmest friends among his opponents. It is gratifying to record that he lived to see the end of the strife and the dawn of increased efficiency as a result of the amalgamation of the line and the engineer corps in 1899, brought about largely by the ability of the younger men whom he had trained.

Achievements

• Kafer distinguished himself during his service as an engineer at the American Civil War. He was instrumental in the first removal of the Engineers' Club of New York from West Twenty-ninth Street to Fifth Avenue, and securing at his own risk options on the Fortieth-Street site of the present edifice, which was the gift of Andrew Carnegie to his fellow members.

Membership

Kafer was active as a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and also of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and was senior American member of the Institute of Naval Architects of Great Britain. He was for a time a manager and vice-president of the first of these societies and was a member of council of the second from its organization. He took an active part in the discussion of professional papers. He was also one of the most valued and useful members of the Engineers' Club of New York, was for many years a governor and for three years (1901 - 1904), president. Later he became the treasurer of the building fund for the Club and also for the United Engineering Building on Thirty-ninth Street, a gift from Carnegie.

Personality

Kafer was never robust, but was an indefatigable worker, and immensely popular in every relation.