Luther Blount

Luther H. Blount (September 5, 1916 - September 24, 2006) was an American entrepreneur, inventor, and philanthropist. Blount was a shipbuilder and holds 22 patents; most of which are relating to his trade. Luther’s brother Nelson Blount was also an entrepreneur, in 1946 he started Blount Seafood. Nelson died in a plane crash in 1967. cite web
last = Burkhardt
first = Andy
title = Bay Profile: Luther Blount
publisher = Narragansett Bay Journal
url = http://www.nbep.org/journal/su_02_p1-6.pdf]

Biography

After graduating from Barrington High School Blount attended Wentworth Institute of Technology where he obtained an associate degree (at the time, the highest degree offered at Wentworth) in 1937. He got his entrepreneurial start by carving duck jewelry pins that he sold out of his "Dippy Duck Widdle Shop." During those years Blount continued to design jewellery, worked for his grandfather's oyster company, and was also a mill machinist and plant engineer.

Blount and Mary Ellen Hustad married in 1943 which was followed by brief service in the army.

He got his start in inventing early. In seventh grade he reinvented the steam engine. "It was a crude sort of steam engine that he made from a tin can, an alcohol burner, and a paddle wheel." He honed his inventing talent while creating a steaming process to open clams under the employment of his brother's seafood company.

Blount started a ship building company in 1949. Out of the over 300 ships his company built during his lifetime over 100 were built in the first 15 years. The company, founded in 1949, was originally named Blount Marine Corporation and later renamed to Blount Boats, Inc. Seeing the potential of the consumer tours market Blount began to offer cruises. The ventured, founded in 1966, was called the American Canadian Caribbean Line.cite web
last = Hayes
first = Kelly
title = Rhode Island loses a legend — Luther Blount
url = http://www.eastbayri.com/story/287118521060206.php]

Philanthropy

Blount donated millions in time and money to various causes throughout his life. Including giving the University of Rhode Island $300,000 to help build an aquaculture research lab in 2001.

Oyster reintroduction

Blount was responsible for four million juvenile oysters that were later "planted by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management in various parts of Narragansett Bay" in an effort to grow the oyster population in the bay. In early 2003, Blount renewed his efforts with 4,000 adult oysters which, according to marine biologist Matt Jaglieski, produced "over 40 million" fertilized larvae. Two years later he donated 80 acres of his land to Roger Williams University to the cause.

Blounts contributions to restoring the Bay earned him an honorary doctorate degree in marine science from Roger Williams University in addition to the University officially dedicating its "state-of-the-art" shellfish hatchery to him.

Niagara Prince

In 2006 Blount donated the Niagara Prince to three New England schools. The $6.5 million ship was built by Blount and was part of one of his cruise lines. The recipients of the donation were Wentworth Institute of Technology, Rhode Island College, and Roger Williams University. All three had given Blount honorary doctorates. cite web
last = Marquard
first = Bryan
title = Obituary: Luther Blount, 90; inventor and boat builder owned cruise lines
publisher = The Boston Globe
url = http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/09/28/luther_blount_90_inventor_and_boat_builder_owned_cruise_lines/]

External sources and references

Patents

* Esters of alpha-hydroxy acids and their estolides.
*, Ship.
*, Controllable pitch propeller.
*, Controllable pitch propeller with trailing edge.
*, Controllable pitch propeller.
*, Fairing for controllable pitch propeller.
*, Safety release for trawl wires.
*, Power assist for vessel steering mechanism.
*, Blount method of handling trawl gears.
*, Blount break control.
*, Lift dock for a water borne vessel.
*, Passenger vessel.
*, Method and means for growing oysters.
*, Marine power pod.
*, Hull construction.
*, Foams of silicates and poly(meth)acrylic acids.
*, Prosthesis.
*, Top sides and superstructure portion of a boat.
*, Water saving toilet.
*, Top sides and superstructure of a boat.
*, Boat hull construction and method of making the same.

References