Jack Thayer
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John Borland "Jack" Thayer III (December 24, 1894 - September 18, 1945) was a 17-year-old first class passenger on the RMS Titanic who boarded with his parents, Marian and John Borland Thayer. They lived in Haverford, Pennsylvania.
After waking up and noticing ice, Thayer ran back to get his parents. They came up to the deck to see what was the matter. Along the way, they lost Jack, who was possibly talking to his new friend, Milton Long. After searching for a while, Jack concluded that they must have boarded a lifeboat. Milton and Jack then tried unsuccessfully to board a lifeboat. Seeing that, Jack proposed to jump, as he was a good swimmer. Being that Milton was not, he convinced Jack not to. Eventually, the ship was going under faster and faster, so they decided to do it. Milton went first; that was the last time Jack saw him. He was so determined to reach Lifeboat B that he did not see his mother in nearby Lifeboat 4.
After the accident, Thayer went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. He married Lois Cassatt and they had two sons, Edward and John IV. He described his experiences in a 1940 pamphlet that is known for its vivid detail. Robert Ballard used it to determine the location of the Titanic and proved that it split in half, contrary to popular opinion.
During World War II both of his children enlisted in the forces. News of Edward's death, combined with a bout of depression, were factors of Thayer's suicide in 1945. He was buried at the Church of the Redeemer Cemetery in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.
[edit] External links
- Encyclopedia Titanica article on John Borland Thayer III
- Titanic: A Survivor's Story and the Sinking of the S.S. Titanic by Archibald Gracie and Jack Thayer, Academy Chicago Publishers, 1988 ISBN 0-89733-452-3
- Titanic: Triumph and Tragedy, by John P. Eaton and Charles A. Haas, W.W. Newton & Company, 2nd edition 1995 ISBN 0-393-03697-9
- A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord, ed. Nathaniel Hilbreck, Owl Books, rep. 2004, ISBN 0-8050-7764-2
