Background
Mordecai Thomas Endicott was born at Mays Landing, New Jersey, the son of Thomas Doughty and Ann (Pennington) Endicott. He was descended from John Endecott, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony.
Mordecai Thomas Endicott was born at Mays Landing, New Jersey, the son of Thomas Doughty and Ann (Pennington) Endicott. He was descended from John Endecott, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony.
After an elementary education under Presbyterian auspices in his native town, he entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in February 1865, and was graduated in 1868.
For the next few years he worked in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with a civil and mining engineer; in Middletown, Connecticut, in building the approaches for a bridge ; and in Ohio, on the Zanesville-Dresden railroad extension. On Febuary 1, 1872, Endicott was appointed an assistant civil engineer at the new League Island naval station at Philadelphia, but he was transferred to the Philadelphia navy-yard itself before receiving his commission in the navy in 1874 as a civil engineer. For the next few years he was at the New London naval station; then followed two years at Portsmouth, five years at Philadelphia, three years at Norfolk, and one year at New York. In 1890 he was brought to Washington as a consulting engineer and given virtual control of all civil-engineering projects. As it was during this period that the navy-yards were undergoing extensive modernization, he had exceptional opportunities to show his professional skill and insight. Thus he had much to do with the introduction of electrical appliances and the adoption of steel and concrete dry docks instead of the old timbered structures. Immediately before the Spanish-American War, when even more important work was in prospect, President McKinley broke precedents, and on April 7, 1898, appointed Endicott as chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, a post always before held by an officer of the line. Later Endicott was given the rank of rear-admiral by virtue of his position, and continued in office till 1907. Though he had been retired in the previous November as a rear-admiral, he remained on duty in various capacities till June 1909. Perhaps his most noteworthy achievement was the completion of the floating dry dock Dewey, the largest of its type which had then been built. Endicott also served on the Nicaragua Canal Commission in 1895, as a member of the Armor Factory Board in 1897, as the navy member of the Panama Canal Commission, 1905-07, and even returned to active duty on various boards during the World War. After 1890 he made his home in Washington, D. C. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, serving as its president in 1911. He died of pneumonia, and was buried at Arlington.
Endicott served on the Nicaragua Canal Commission in 1895, as a member of the Armor Factory Board in 1897, as the navy member of the Panama Canal Commission, 1905-07, and even returned to active duty on various boards during the World War.
He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, serving as its president in 1911.
On May 29, 1872, he married Elizabeth Adams, daughter of George W. Adams of Dresden.