Edward Lull "Ned" Cochrane
Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy

Edward Lull Cochrane was born on 18 March 1892 at Mare Island, CA, the son of retired Marine Brigadier General Henry Clay Cochrane (1842-1913).

Cochrane entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1910 and was commissioned as a Navy Ensign upon graduation in 1914. During World War I, he served at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and transferred to the Navy's Construction Corps. He graduated in 1920 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with a Master of Science degree in Naval Architecture.

Between the World Wars, Cochrane served in various positions related to shipbuilding, including in the Navy's Bureau of Construction and Repair, predecessor to the Bureau of Ships.

He assumed the post of Chief, BuShips in November 1942, succeeding Rear Admiral Alexander H. Van Keuren. From January 1941 until assuming command of the Bureau, Cochrane served as the Assistant Head of the Design Division. He then served as Chief of Naval Materiel from 1946 to 1947.

Cochrane retired from the Navy in 1947, while serving as a member of the President's Advisory Committee on the Merchant Marine.

Academic Career

He then joined the faculty of MIT, serving from 1947-50 as head of the Department of Ocean Engineering (originally known as the Department of Naval Architecture), and from 1952-54 as head of the School of Engineering. From 1957 until his death, he was Vice-President Emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Legacy

Many of Vice Admiral Cochrane's papers are held at the Naval Historical Center at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, DC. The papers include documents pertaining to the reorganization of the Bureau of Ships during World War II as well as transcripts of official speeches given by Admiral Cochrane during his term as head of that Bureau. Additionally, there are many personal papers and photographs relating to the Admiral's close association with civilian Naval Architecture and engineering organizations.

Medals and Awards

Distinguished Service Medal
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Honors

Cochrane received many awards and honors for his contributions to naval architecture, including the David W. Taylor Medal, and more generally to the field of engineering.

He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

In 1953 he received honorary membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

MIT's Admiral Edward L. Cochrane Award is presented each year to an outstanding student athlete. The award goes to a male senior for demonstrating humility, leadership and inspiration in intercollegiate sports.

The USS Cochrane (DDG-21), a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile armed destroyer, was named in his honor.

Death and Burial

Vice Admiral Edward Lull Cochrane died on 14 November 1959 in New Haven, CT, at the age of 67. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA.