John Stevens (inventor)

Col. John Stevens, III (June 26, 1749 - March 6, 1838) was an American lawyer, engineer, and inventor who constructed the first U.S. steam locomotive, first steam-powered ferry, and first U.S. commercial ferry service from his estate in Hoboken. He was influential in the creation of U.S. patent law.

Life and career

Stevens was born June 26, 1749, in New York City, New York, the son of John Stevens, a prominent state politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, and Elizabeth Alexander, daughter of New York lawyer and statesman James Alexander. His sister, Mary Stevens (d. 1814), married Robert R. Livingston, the first Chancellor of the State of New York.

He graduated King's College (which became Columbia University) in May 1768.

At age 27 he was appointed a Captain in Washington's army, and was afterwards treasurer of New Jersey, and bought at public auction from the state of New Jersey land which had been confiscated from a Tory landowner. The land, described as "William Bayard's farm at Hoebuck" comprised approximately what is now the city of Hoboken. Stevens built his estate at Castle Point, on land that would later become the site of Stevens Institute of Technology (bequeathed by his son Edwin Augustus Stevens).

John Stevens

John Stevens may refer to:

Politics, law and public service

John Stevens (Australian cricketer)

John Whitehall Stevens (c. 1811 – 30 March 1891) was an Indian-born Australian cricketer who played for Victoria. He was born in Bombay and died in Marylebone.

Stevens made a single first-class appearance for the side, during the 1851–52 season, against Tasmania. From the upper-middle order, he scored a duck in the first innings in which he batted, and five runs in the second.

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John Stevens (footballer)

John Stevens (born 15 June 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Stevens played some football for the Collingwood Under-19s but his initial AFL ambitions were thwarted by a knee injury and having to have heart surgery. He was later drafted by Sydney as a mature age recruit, from Old Ivanhoe Grammarians. When he made his league debut in the 1997 AFL season, Stevens was already 25.

A left footer, he was used mostly on the wing by Sydney and didn't miss a single game in 1998. Stevens, who played finals football in each of his first three seasons, put his name in the record books in 1999 when he took 19 marks against Melbourne at the MCG which was at the time the second most number of marks ever records in a VFL/AFL game.

In an interview on Melbourne sports radio station: 1116 SEN, Stevens went into details about his tachycardia; explaining that his condition was made known when a coach confronted him for laziness as result to his lack of second efforts. Throughout his career, after a burst of activity, Stevens would double over and breathe heavily in an attempt to consciously bring his heart rate down to regular levels from as high as 350 beats per minute. Ignoring medical advise to discontinue his career, he played senior AFL with his condition until 2001.