Joe Fowler was a rear admiral

Rear admiral (United States)

Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. The uniformed services of the United States are unique in having two grades of rear admirals.- Rear admiral :...

 of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, who after his retirement had an important role in Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

.

Naval career

Fowler graduated from the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 in 1917. He later graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...

 with a master's degree in naval architecture in 1921. He designed and supervised the building of gunboats in Shanghai, China, during the 1920s, and later designed and built naval aircraft carriers, including the and the . During World War II Fowler was in charge of all U.S. Navy construction conducted in the West Coast

West Coast of the United States

West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...

 shipyards. He retired in 1948 with the rank of Rear Admiral.

Disney career

In 1954 Walt Disney

Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...

 was looking for a naval expert to help with the building of the paddle steamer

Paddle steamer

A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...

 Mark Twain

Mark Twain Riverboat

The Mark Twain Riverboat is an attraction, located at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, California, on which passengers embark on a scenic, 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America. Originally named the Mark Twain Steamboat when the park opened in 1955, the stately, 5/8-scale...

, for the then under-construction Disneyland. He found the retired admiral supervising the construction of tract homes

Tract housing

Tract housing is a style of housing development in which multiple similar homes are built on a tract of land which is subdivided into individual small lots...

 in the San Francisco region. Fowler was hired as construction boss for the whole Disneyland project. After Disneyland was completed, Fowler stayed on as General Manager of the park for its first 10 years, and assisted with the construction of Walt Disney World. He retired from The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

 in 1978 though he continued on as a consultant.

The dock for the two large ships in Disneyland's Rivers of America

Rivers of America

Rivers of America can refer to:*List of rivers of the Americas*Rivers of America , an attraction at Disney theme parks*Rivers of America Series, a series of 65 books published by Farrar & Rinehart and its successors between 1937 and 1974...

, located across from The Haunted Mansion is named Fowler's Harbor. In 1999, one of the ferries that crosses the Seven Seas Lagoon

Seven Seas Lagoon

The Seven Seas Lagoon is the man-made lake in front of the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The lake reaches a depth of 14 feet. The lake connects with the adjacent Bay Lake.- Uses and history :...

 taking guests from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

 was renamed Admiral Joe Fowler

Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat

The Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat was named after the retired navy admiral who was in charge of the construction of both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.-Facts:* Opened: October 2, 1971* Closed: 1980* Ticket: D Ticket...

in his honor; it was originally known as the Magic Kingdom I.