James R. Wynne (1929-1990) graduated from MIT with a master's in Mechanical Engineering in 1953 and worked for Mercury Marine until striking out on his own in 1958. Shortly after, he developed a commercially viable stern drive propulsion, which combined an inboard engine with the flexibility of an outboard engine's propeller. Wynne also designed boat hulls, and specialized in boats large and sturdy enough for offshore racing. Wynne was solely a designer and inventor, so his boats were produced by a variety of production boatbuilders in the US and Europe.

Fred Hudson (1929-2010) was an industrial designer who shaped generations of powerboats A graduate of Cornell's School of Architecture and Fine Arts, Hudson designed cars for Packard and Chrysler before joining the Chris-Craft boat company in 1960. He later worked for American Motors Corporation and became an independent boat designer in 1968, often collaborating with James R. Wynne.

The bulk of the Hudson-Wynne collection consists of plans for many of James R. Wynne's powerboat designs. These include drawings for both hull designs and mechanical details These design and construction plans are supplemented by Fred Hudson's artistic renderings of the boats, usually in full color. In addition, the collection contains some archival material related to Hudson-Wynne designs, including advertising material, correspondence and paperwork from boat production companies, and photographs. Separately, a number of Hudson's renderings for other work, including Packard and Chris-Craft designs, are preserved here, as well as personal photos and related material.

Title: Hudson-Wynne Collection

Creator: James R. Wynne, Fred Hudson

Dates: 1945-2007; bulk 1972-2000

Extent: 11 drawers plans and 4 linear feet archives

Language: English

Repository: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collection

Access: Open for research by appointment. Access to some material is restricted.

Copyright: Some copyright restrictions apply.

Credit: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collection