John Holland, the inventor of the first U.S. Navy submarine, was born in County Clare, Ireland, February 24, 1842.
On February 7, 1899, American businessman Isaac Rice incorporated the Electric Boat Company to complete a 54-foot submersible vessel developed by John Philip Holland. One year later, the world’s first practical submarine, the Holland, was accepted by the U.S. Navy, marking the beginning of the U.S. Submarine Force.
This week we celebrate Electric Boat’s 120th birthday. Spanning three centuries, through world wars and economic ups and downs, our company has maintained an unwavering focus – to ensure our nation’s defense.
During World War I and just after, Electric Boat built 85 submarines for the U.S. Navy while its subsidiaries built 722 submarine chasers and 118 Liberty ships. Over the course of World War II, Electric Boat produced 74 submarines and 398 patrol torpedo boats, including the famous PT 109 commanded by then-Lieutenant John F. Kennedy.
After both World Wars, with fewer orders for submarines, the shipyard stayed busy building yachts, schooners and commercial fishing vessels. Creative diversification after WW II saw printing presses, truck bodies and even automated bowling alley pin-setters rolling off the production lines. In 1950, with Cold War tensions mounting, EB’s destiny was forever changed when the company took on the challenge posed by Capt. Hyman Rickover to design and build the first nuclear-powered submarine.
In 1955, on sea trials, the USS Nautilus sent the historic message: “Underway on nuclear power.”
EB’s innovations have never stopped, including the Navy’s first fleet ballistic-missile submarine, USS George Washington (SSBN 598), which went on strategic deterrent patrol in 1960. In the succeeding decades, EB has designed, built and sustained ever-more capable and stealthy attack submarines, culminating in the Virginia class, pioneering research vessels like the NR-1 and the sea-based, survivable leg of our country’s strategic nuclear force, the Ohio Class, with its next-generation replacement, Columbia, underway.
Through the changing times and challenges of the last 120 years, there’s been one constant – our talented, creative and hardworking employees. It’s an honor for me to lead a company with such a storied history and a very bright future.
Thank you for the work you do to deliver the advantage that protects our sailors, our families and our freedom.
Happy Birthday Electric Boat!
Jeff Geiger
EB Supports 45th Annual MLK Scholarship Awards
Electric Boat was proud to serve as a scholarship sponsor for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Trust Fund at its 45th Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner. More than 600 community members gathered to celebrate this year’s extraordinary cohort of 2026 MLK Scholars. These 13 outstanding students were recognized for their academic excellence, leadership, character,...Continue reading→
Building the Future: EB’s New Central Distribution Hub
In April, Electric Boat (EB) began construction on the new central distribution hub for its warehousing, shipping, and receiving operations at 45 Frontage Road in North Stonington, CT. Since then, the 480,000‑square‑foot next‑generation warehouse facility has quickly taken shape. All wall panels are now complete, and construction is ahead of schedule. The facility will celebrate...Continue reading→
Delivering the Future
Some imagine the future. We deliver it now.
State-of-the-Art Simulator Prepares District of Columbia Crew for its Mission
As construction of the District of Columbia (SSBN 826) continues apace in EB’s South Yard Assembly Building, the sailors who will soon be at the controls are spending hours in a dynamic, high-tech simulator learning the intricacies of operating the 21,000-ton, first-in-class boomer. The Columbia Ship Control Operator Trainer (CSCOT) is a replica of the...Continue reading→
Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of USS Groton Sail Monument
Fifty years after the USS Groton (SSN‑694) first launched, dozens gathered outside the Groton Public Library Oct. 9 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the USS Groton Sail Monument. The $6.6 million project—three decades in the making—will honor the men and women who design, build, operate and maintain the Navy’s submarines, as well as the families...Continue reading→
A Celebration of Heart, Community and Victory
2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk Recap Saturday, October 3, 2026 | UConn Avery Point The 2026 American Heart Association Eastern Connecticut Heart Walk at UConn Avery Point was nothing short of extraordinary. Under bright autumn skies, 26 incredible Electric Boat teams and 151 walkers came together with passion, purpose, and unstoppable energy...Continue reading→
Quonset Point Donation Will Help Keep Mystic Aquarium’s Belugas Cool
Juno, the Mystic Aquarium’s convivial, photo-bombing Beluga whale, will continue swimming in cool comfort thanks to an unlikely chain of events that began 40 miles east in an Electric Boat industrial building at Quonset Point. That’s where EB’s Russ Tatro and Chris Logan were going over plans with a vendor, Carrier Corp., to replace Building...Continue reading→
EB Team Visits Hypertherm as Part of Drive Toward Modern, Efficient Shipbuilding
A team from Groton and Quonset Point headed to New Hampshire-based Hypertherm Associates this week to get a closer look at a modern automated plasma gouging process designed to streamline hull fabrication. The visit was part of a broader effort across Electric Boat to bring more advanced, state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing tools into the shipyard. EB plans...Continue reading→
Kamal Mohamed Recognized as 2026 Hartford Business Journal 40 Under Forty Award Recipient
The Hartford Business Journal (HBJ) 40 Under Forty Awards recognize outstanding young professionals in the Greater Hartford area who are excelling in their industries through their leadership roles. They are driven by success, motivated by challenges and are role models for their peers. These individuals are part of an outstanding class of upcoming business leaders...Continue reading→
Electric Boat Joins Regional Leaders for Military Appreciation Breakfast
Electric Boat employees joined military and community leaders for the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut’s annual Military Appreciation Breakfast on Sept. 30 at Ocean Beach Park’s Port ‘N’ Starboard. The event provided more than 120 complimentary seats to active-duty service members from the Navy, Coast Guard and Connecticut National Guard. General Dynamics Electric Boat...Continue reading→
