Jack Thayer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Thayer
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Thayer in 1912
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| Born |
John Borland Thayer III
December 24, 1894 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | September 20, 1945 (aged 50) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) |
Lois Buchanan Cassatt
(m. 1917) |
| Children | 6 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
U.S. Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1918 1941–1944 |
| Battles/wars |
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John Borland Thayer III (born December 24, 1894 – died September 20, 1945) was a passenger on the famous ship, the RMS Titanic. He was in first class. Jack, as he was known, was only 17 years old when the ship hit an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. He was one of the few people who survived after jumping into the very cold ocean. Later, he wrote his own story about what happened during the sinking.
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Jack Thayer's Early Life
John Borland Thayer III was born into the wealthy Thayer family. His father, John Borland Thayer II, was a director and vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. His mother, Marian Thayer, was a well-known person in Philadelphia society.
Aboard the Titanic
In April 1912, 17-year-old Jack Thayer was traveling in Europe with his parents and their maid. They boarded the RMS Titanic in Cherbourg, France, on April 10, 1912. They were heading back to New York.
Jack's room, C-70, was right next to his parents' room, C-68. Around 11:40 p.m., the ship hit an iceberg. Jack quickly got dressed and went to a deck on the left side of the ship to see what had happened. He didn't see anything there. So, he walked to the front of the ship. There, he could just barely see ice on the deck.
The Ship Begins to Sink
Jack woke up his parents. They went back to the left side of the ship with him. They noticed the ship was starting to tilt to the left. They quickly returned to their rooms to put on warmer clothes and life vests.
When they came back to the deck, Jack lost sight of his parents. He thought they had gotten onto a lifeboat. Soon, Jack met Milton Long, another passenger he had just met a few hours earlier. Both Jack and Milton tried to get on a lifeboat. However, they were told they couldn't. This was because of the rule to board women and children first.
Jack suggested jumping off the ship. He was a good swimmer. Milton wasn't, so he didn't want to jump at first.
Jumping into the Ocean
As the ship tilted more, the two men decided to jump off the side. They planned to swim to safety. Milton jumped first, facing the ship. He was never seen again.
Jack jumped from the railing with his back to the ship, pushing himself away. Once he was in the water, Jack managed to reach Collapsible B. This was one of the last lifeboats to be launched. A large wave had swept it off the deck before it could be lowered into the water. The boat was overturned.
Jack and other crew members and passengers were able to keep the overturned boat steady. These included Junior Wireless Officer Harold Bride, Colonel Archibald Gracie IV, Chief Baker Charles Joughin, and Second Officer Charles Lightoller. Jack later remembered that the cries of hundreds of people in the water sounded like the high-pitched hum of locusts.
Rescue and Survival
After spending the night on the overturned Collapsible B, Jack was pulled into Lifeboat 12. He was so upset and cold that he didn't even notice his mother in nearby Lifeboat 4. She didn't notice him either.
Lifeboat 12 was the last lifeboat to reach the RMS Carpathia. This was the first rescue ship to arrive at the scene, at 8:30 a.m. Jack's father did not get on a lifeboat and died when the ship sank. Jack was one of about 40 people who jumped or fell into the water and survived.
In 1940, Jack wrote about his experience. He said that before the Titanic sank, "There was peace and the world had an even tenor to its way." He felt that the disaster made the world "wake up with a start." He believed it kept the world moving faster ever since.
Later Life and Challenges
Jack Thayer went on to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Saint Anthony Hall fraternity. On December 15, 1917, Jack married Lois Buchanan Cassatt. They had two sons and three daughters. Sadly, a third son died shortly after birth in 1920. During World War I, Jack served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army.
During World War II, both of Jack's sons joined the armed services. His son Edward was a bomber pilot. He was reported missing and believed to have died in 1943 during the Pacific War. His body was never found. When Jack heard this sad news, he became very depressed.
In 1939, Jack became the treasurer of the University of Pennsylvania. In February 1944, he was given a new job as financial vice president. He held this position until his death in September 1945.
Jack's mother, Marian, died on April 14, 1944. This was the 32nd anniversary of the Titanic collision and sinking.
Titanic Accounts
In 1940, Jack Thayer published his own book about the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It was called The Sinking of the S.S. Titanic. He printed 500 copies for his family and friends.
Oceanographer Robert Ballard used Jack's story to help find where the shipwreck rested. This discovery helped prove that the ship had split in half before sinking. Jack, along with many other survivors, had reported it breaking into two pieces. Others said it sank in one piece. The question was not settled until the wreck was found.
Jack Thayer's account is sometimes included with fellow survivor Archibald Gracie IV's story of the sinking. You can find it in modern versions of Gracie's book, Titanic: A Survivor's Story.
See also
- Passengers of the RMS Titanic
