Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
Open full sized image
White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Born:
December 12, 1862, Crosby, near Liverpool, England
Died:
October 17, 1937, London
Also Known As:
Joseph Bruce Ismay
J. Bruce Ismaywas a British businessman who was chairman of the White Star Line and who survived the sinking of the company’s ship Titanic in 1912.
Open full sized image
The Olympic.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-73823)
Open full sized image
On April 10, 1912, the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. It sank days later.
The Bettmann Archive
Ismay was the eldest son of Thomas Henry Ismay, who owned the White Star Line, which operated a fleet of passenger ships. After his father’s death in 1899, he became chairman of the company. Under his direction, White Star became known for its luxury liners. In 1902 he oversaw the company’s acquisition by John Pierpont Morgan’s International Mercantile Marine Company (IMM). As part of the deal, Ismay continued as chairman of White Star, and in 1904 he also became president of IMM. In 1907 Ismay attended a dinner with William James Pirrie—who controlled the Belfast shipbuilding company Harland and Wolff, which constructed all of White Star’s vessels—and the two men reportedly devised a plan to build a class of large luxury ships to compete with the Cunard Line for the highly profitable transatlantic passenger trade. The Olympic was the first to be completed (1911), and it was an immediate success. The Titanic followed in 1912.
Open full sized image
J. Bruce Ismay in Washington, D.C., 1912, for the U.S. investigation into the sinking of the Titanic.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-DIG-hec-00933)
In April 1912 Ismay was aboard the Titanic during its maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City. On April 14 the Titanic struck an iceberg and was fatally damaged. Despite an order that only women and children were allowed in the lifeboats—of which there were only enough for about half of those on the ship—Ismay boarded the collapsible lifeboat C. He later claimed that no women and children were in the area, but eyewitnesses subsequently challenged that assertion. His reputation further suffered for his actions on the rescue ship Carpathia. Upon boarding the vessel, Ismay sequestered himself in a private cabin, refusing to leave until the Carpathia docked in New York. During the ensuing investigations, Ismay faced lengthy questioning, and he denied reports that he had encouraged Capt. Edward J. Smith to increase the ship’s speed—despite iceberg warnings—in order to garner positive press coverage by arriving in New York earlier than scheduled. Nevertheless, Ismay was publicly branded a coward and was largely shunned. In 1913 he retired from IMM and the White Star Line.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen
