Captain E.J. Smith

joined White Star Line in 1880 and remained with the company for the rest of his life. Popular with his crews as well as his passengers, Smith was widely regarded as a charming, personable officer. He became the captain of choice for many of the rich and powerful in the transatlantic set, earning the nickname "the millionaire's captain." Through most of his long career, he had never been involved, as he recounted in 1907, "in an accident of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort." White Star had made it virtually a tradition to have Smith in command on the maiden voyages of its important ships. At the conclusion of Titanic's maiden voyage, Captain Smith was scheduled to retire in glory.

Back to main page

Back to the character pages


Visiters since August 15, 1998

1