# Who was Edmund Fitzgerald? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613 "2023-08-15T17:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malkav23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@Malkav23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malkav23)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/1 "2023-08-15T17:44:09Z")
We’ve all heard our share of Gordon Lightfoot. My question is who was Edmund Fitzgerald, and how did he get a ship named after him? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/2 "2023-08-15T17:45:48Z")
There’s no great story. The ship was owned by Northwestern Mutual and he was the president. ---
**Author:** ![themapleleaf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themapleleaf/32/14349_2.png) [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/3 "2023-08-15T17:46:15Z")
He was the President of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, which owned the ship that was named after him. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/4 "2023-08-15T17:51:59Z")
Wikipedia “disambiguation” is your friend: > **[Edmund Fitzgerald (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Fitzgerald_(disambiguation))** > > SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975. > Edmund Fitzgerald may also refer to: Though in the process I learned about this guy, who I’ve never heard of (but totally unrelated to ship/song): > **[Edmund Fitzgerald Fredericks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Fitzgerald_Fredericks)** > > Edmund Fitzgerald Fredericks (1874 or 1875–1935) was a lawyer and educator from British Guiana. > Fredericks came to the United States to study to become a lawyer, settling in North Carolina in 1903. He graduated from Shaw University in 1905. He became the principal and teacher of the segregated Mooresville Colored School. He worked there until 1917, then moved to England, where he worked during World War I in the War Office. Fredericks became involved in the African Progress Union (APU). Freder... ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/5 "2023-08-15T18:16:26Z")
As presidents go, he was bigger than most. mmm ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/6 "2023-08-15T18:32:06Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As presidents go, he was bigger than most. I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/7 "2023-08-15T18:48:47Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > As presidents go, he was bigger than most. > > mmm Don’t let him give you a lift to Cleveland. He gets loaded before he goes. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/8 "2023-08-15T19:25:24Z")
When his retirement party came, the old cook came in, sayin’ “Fella, it’s been good to know ya.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/9 "2023-08-15T20:44:26Z")
So, did the sailors have policies with NWMLIC? Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/10 "2023-08-15T20:45:17Z")
And more importantly … if they did have policies, did they pay out? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/11 "2023-08-15T21:37:40Z")
The company claimed the sinking was negligent. They argued the ship could have made Whitefish Bay if they’d put 15 more miles behind them. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/12 "2023-08-15T21:40:19Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > The company claimed the sinking was negligent. They argued the ship could have made Whitefish Bay if they’d put 15 more miles behind them . In their defense, the gales of November came early. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/13 "2023-08-15T21:42:31Z")
He was a nervous wreck. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/14 "2023-08-15T21:55:49Z")
> [@](#): > > As presidents go, he was bigger than most. But not as big as Billy Taft. [![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1fza60ZocY/UHZOliZMjVI/AAAAAAAACCQ/pJ3s5q7NkGU/s1600/William+Howard+Taft.jpg) ](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1fza60ZocY/UHZOliZMjVI/AAAAAAAACCQ/pJ3s5q7NkGU/s1600/William+Howard+Taft.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/15 "2023-08-16T00:48:25Z")
His legend lives on… ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/16 "2023-08-16T03:48:24Z")
Why did a life insurance company own an ore boat? I mean, I get it that insurance companies have to invest the premiums somewhere, unless they’re committing fraud, but . . . an ore boat? ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/17 "2023-08-16T04:01:26Z")
It’s definitely a portfolio diversification! ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Finn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Mark\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2023, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/18 "2023-08-16T04:58:29Z")
More details. [https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/](https://shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/) Strange things happened at its launching in 1958 (the video doesn’t mention that it also crashed into an adjoining pier): > **[The launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald - June 8, 1958 - Great Lakes Shipwreck...](https://shipwreckmuseum.com/the-launch-of-the-edmund-fitzgerald-june-8-1958/)** > > Not everything goes as planned. Learn some of the “odd” things that happened during the launch of the Fitzgerald in 1958 in this short story! ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/19 "2023-08-17T13:29:38Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Why did a life insurance company own an ore boat? > > I mean, I get it that insurance companies have to invest the premiums somewhere, unless they’re committing fraud, but . . . an ore boat? > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > It’s definitely a portfolio diversification! It probably looked like a good idea at the time… “Our name is out there, we make money carrying cargo, and think of all the premiums we’ll collect every year for insuring it! We’ll make the company even richer!” ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2023, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613/20 "2023-08-17T13:38:30Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > and think of all the premiums we’ll collect every year for insuring it! They were a life insurance company, not a marine vessel insurance company… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-edmund-fitzgerald/988613.md?page=2)