Jack Thayer

About

Famous for surviving the 1912 Titanic disaster by jumping into the freezing water and subsequently being rescued by Lifeboat 12, Thayer later published his personal account of the tragic event that had resulted in the deaths of his father and numerous other passengers. 

Before Fame

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he served in the United States Army during the First World War.

Trivia

Tragically, he committed suicide when, within just one year, his mother passed away on the Titanic disaster's anniversary and his fighter pilot son went missing in combat during World War II.

Family Life

The son of Philadelphia Railroad vice president John Borland Thayer, Jr. and socialite Marian Thayer, he was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His marriage to Lois Buchanan Cassatt lasted from 1917 until his death and produced children named Edward, John, Julie, Pauline, and Lois.

Associated With

He and the English-born Eva Hart were both Titanic survivors.