# Louis Dreller

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**Louis Dreller** (March 6, 1897 – May 8, 1970) was an American sailor and engineer. He served in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) from 1918 to 1951, rising to the rank of [Rear Admiral](/source/Rear_Admiral_(United_States)).

Dreller was commissioned in 1918 as an [engineering duty officer](/source/Engineering_duty_officer) during [World War I](/source/World_War_I). For much of [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he was stationed for several years at the [Philadelphia Navy Yard](/source/Philadelphia_Navy_Yard), working on designing and building ships for the war effort. For his efforts there he was awarded the [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit) by the United States and the [Order of the Southern Cross](/source/Order_of_the_Southern_Cross) by Brazil. After the war, he served as Commander of the U.S. Navy Yard at [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor).

Dreller was president of the [American Society of Naval Engineers](/source/American_Society_of_Naval_Engineers) in 1951.[1]

## Personal life

Louis Dreller (who was Jewish)[2] was born March 6, 1897, in [Portsmouth, New Hampshire](/source/Portsmouth,_New_Hampshire). In 1918, he graduated from the [University of New Hampshire](/source/University_of_New_Hampshire) with a degree in [electrical engineering](/source/Electrical_engineering). He later earned a [master's degree](/source/Master's_degree) from [Columbia University](/source/Columbia_University). He married Edythe Maharam. They had two daughters, Rusty (Selma) Kerr and Doris Sosin. He died May 8, 1970, at [Bethesda Naval Hospital](/source/Bethesda_Naval_Hospital), and was buried in [Arlington National Cemetery](/source/Arlington_National_Cemetery).[3]

## Career

Upon graduating from the University of New Hampshire in 1918, Dreller was commissioned in the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(United_States)), initially for [engineering duty only](/source/Engineering_duty_officer).[3] During [World War I](/source/World_War_I), he received a temporary promotion to [Lieutenant junior grade](/source/Lieutenant_junior_grade). He was commissioned in that rank on July 1, 1920.[4]

During his service in the Navy, Dreller served aboard the [USS *South Carolina*](/source/USS_South_Carolina_(BB-26)), [USS *Michigan*](/source/USS_Michigan_(BB-27)), [USS *Preston*](/source/USS_Preston), [USS *Tingey*](/source/USS_Tingey), [USS *Arizona*](/source/USS_Arizona_(BB-39)), [USS *Lexington*](/source/USS_Lexington_(CV-2)), [USS *Ranger*](/source/USS_Ranger_(CV-4)), [USS *Argonne*](/source/USS_Argonne_(AS-10)), and [USS *Indianapolis*](/source/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)). Aboard these last two vessels, he was Base Force Engineering Officer and later Scouting Force Engineering Officer.[3] He was a [plankowner](/source/Plankowner) for the *Lexington* and the *Ranger*. He also served several tours with the Bureau of Engineering.[4]

Dreller was serving aboard the *Indianapolis* on December 7, 1941, when the [Imperial Japanese Navy](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Navy) [attacked Pearl Harbor](/source/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor). The *Indianapolis* was assigned to Pearl Harbor but was spared because it was out of port on an exercise at the time of the attack.[5] The United States [entered](/source/United_States_declaration_of_war_on_Japan) [World War II](/source/World_War_II) the following day. At the time, Dreller was Force Engineering Officer with the [Scouting Force](/source/Scouting_Fleet).[4] In 1942, he served briefly on the staff of the Commander Amphibious Force, Pacific,[2] before being transferred in August of that year to the [Philadelphia Navy Yard](/source/Philadelphia_Navy_Yard). He served the remainder of the war there working on the design and production of warships, holding at different times the roles of Design Superintendent, Planning Officer, and Production Officer.[3] He was promoted to rear admiral on July 14, 1943.[4]

Dreller received the [Legion of Merit](/source/Legion_of_Merit) for his work in the Navy Yard.[3][6] Also, Brazil awarded him the [Order of the Southern Cross](/source/Order_of_the_Southern_Cross) for his contributions in designing destroyers for the [Brazilian Navy](/source/Brazilian_Navy) while serving in the Philadelphia Navy Yard.[3][7] His other decorations included the [(World War I) Victory Medal](/source/World_War_I_Victory_Medal_(United_States)), the [American Defense Service Medal](/source/American_Defense_Service_Medal), the [Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal](/source/Asiatic%E2%80%93Pacific_Campaign_Medal), the [American Campaign Medal](/source/American_Campaign_Medal), and the [World War II Victory Medal](/source/World_War_II_Victory_Medal_(United_States)).[3]

After World War II, Dreller served again at [Pearl Harbor](/source/Pearl_Harbor), in the office of the [Naval Inspector General](/source/Naval_Inspector_General), as Assistant Chief of Naval Material,[4] and as Commander of the U.S. Naval Shipyard.[3] He retired from the Navy on July 1, 1951,[4] due to disability.[3]

Dreller joined the [American Society of Naval Engineers](/source/American_Society_of_Naval_Engineers) in 1920. He served as the society's president in 1951. He remained active in the society until falling ill before his death in 1970.[3][8]

## Publications

- Dreller, Louis (May 1933). ["Basis and method of determining A. C. cable sizes"](https://archive.org/details/sim_naval-engineers-journal_1933-05_45_2/page/n67). *Naval Engineers Journal*. **45** (2): 165–172. [doi:10.1111/j.1559-3584.1933.tb02696.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1933.tb02696.x)
- Dreller, Louis (August 1, 1937). "The fundamentals of parallel operation of direct and alternating current generators". *Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers*. **49** (3): 273–306. [doi:10.1111/j.1559-3584.1937.tb02580.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1937.tb02580.x)
- Dreller, Louis (July 1940). "Electricity in the United States Navy". *Electrical Engineering*. **59** (7): 267–270. [doi:10.1109/EE.1940.6434985](https://doi.org/10.1109/EE.1940.6434985). [S2CID 51661596](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:51661596)

## References

1. ["Past Presidents"](https://www.navalengineers.org/About-ASNE/Leadership/Past-Presidents). *www.navalengineers.org*. Retrieved 2024-07-17.

1. Brody, Seymour. ["American Jews serve in World War II"](http://www.jwmww2.org/American_Jews_Serve_in_World_War_II). Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War II. Retrieved January 6, 2019.

1. "Rear Admiral Louis Dreller, United States Navy (Ret), Past President ASNE". *Naval Engineers Journal*. **82** (3): 132. June 1970. [doi:10.1111/j.1559-3584.1970.tb04350.x](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1970.tb04350.x)

1. Naval History and Heritage Command (April 28, 2017). ["Papers of Rear Admiral Louis Dreller, 1929–1959"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150214052557/http://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/research-guides-and-finding-aids/personal-papers/d-e/papers-of-louis-dreller.html). Archived from [the original](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/archives/research-guides-and-finding-aids/personal-papers/d-e/papers-of-louis-dreller.html) on February 14, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2019.

1. Sosin, Doris (December 7, 2010). ["Remembering Pearl Harbor"](http://www.smdp.com/remembering-pearl-harbor/77779). *Santa Monica Daily Press*. Retrieved January 6, 2019.

1. Hall of Valor Project. ["Louis Dreller"](https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/312352). Military Times. Retrieved January 6, 2019.

1. "Brazil Honor". *Chester Times*. October 4, 1944. p. 7.

1. [American Society of Naval Engineers](/source/American_Society_of_Naval_Engineers). ["Past presidents"](http://www.navalengineers.org/about-asne/leadership/past-presidents). Retrieved January 6, 2019.

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