U.S.S. Enterprise Designer From PA - Learn Stuff

The world got its first look at the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 all the way back in 1965 during the failed original Star Trek pilot. That design philosophy continues to this day, and it came from a guy born in Pennsylvania.

Walter Matthew Jeffries was born on August 12th, 1921 in Lebanon Pennsylvania. My mom`s parents are from there also.

During WWII, he served as a flight test engineer on the B-17 Flying Fortress, one of the most iconic planes of the era.

That experience would serve him well 20 years later when he worked with Gene Roddenberry to bring Star Trek to life.

Jeffries was responsible for the primary hull saucer, secondary engineering section, and two warp nacelle configuration that all starships named Enterprise would feature (well, except the NX-01 I suppose).

He also designed the ship`s bridge, the D7 battlecruiser used by the Klingons, phasers and many other things `Trek.

Starting with The Next Generation, the utility corridors on Federation vessels (or in general) were named Jeffries Tubes in his honor.

Mr. Jeffries died in 2003 at the age of 81.

GO PA!