Editing Matt Jefferies

{{short description|American artist}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Matt Jefferies
| image         = Matt Jefferies.jpg
| caption       = Jefferies in circa 2002
| birth_name    = Walter Matthew Jefferies
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1921|8|12}}
| birth_place   = [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2003|7|21|1921|8|12}}
| death_place   = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| occupation    = Artist, set designer, writer, flight test engineer
| years_active  =
| spouse        = Mary Ann
| known_for     =
| website       = {{URL|www.mattjefferies.com}}
}}

'''Walter Matthew Jefferies'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2003 |title=Walter M. Jefferies |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/walter-m-jefferies-36863.html |website=[[independent.co.uk]]}}</ref> (August 12, 1921 – July 21, 2003)<ref name="StarTrek.com">{{cite web |url= http://www.startrek.com/database_article/jefferies |title= Jefferies, Walter "Matt" |work= StarTrek.com |accessdate = November 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Variety.com">{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/2003/scene/people-news/walter-matt-jefferies-1117889885/ |title= Walter 'Matt' Jefferies (obituary) |website= Variety.com |date= July 23, 2013}}</ref> was an American aviation and mechanical artist, set designer, and writer. He is best known for his work on the original ''[[Star Trek]]'' [[television series]], where he designed many of the sets and props, including the original [[Starship]] ''[[Starship Enterprise|Enterprise]]'', and the bridge and sick bay.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patton |first=Joshua M. |date=2023-08-31 |title=Matt Jefferies' Final USS Enterprise Design Was Lost When Phase II Fell Apart |url=https://www.cbr.com/matt-jefferies-final-uss-enterprise-design-was-lost-when-phase-ii-fell-apart/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-25 |title=Matt Jefferies' Original Starship Enterprise |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/matt-jefferies-original-starship-enterprise |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.startrek.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Early life==
Jefferies was born in [[Lebanon, Pennsylvania]].<ref name= "StarTrek.com"/> He had three brothers, John, Richard and Philip, the latter two of whom would become production designers.<ref name="Variety.com"/> Their father was chief engineer at a [[power plant]] in [[Virginia]]. Matt's younger brother John worked with him as his chief draftsman. 

He served in [[Europe]] in [[World War II]], was inside of [[B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17]], [[B-24]], [[B-25]] bombers and had four years as a flight test engineer.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.mattjefferies.com/ |title= The 'All American' and WWII |work= www.mattjefferies.com |accessdate = August 18, 2018}}</ref>

==''Star Trek''==
Besides creating interiors and exterior of the ''Enterprise'', Jefferies was responsible for designing props (including [[phaser (fictional weapon)|phasers]]), sets, the [[Klingon]] logo and [[D-7 battlecruiser]]. Years later, his concept sketches were revisited and used to design the [[Starship Enterprise|Starship ''Enterprise'']], the Olympic class USS ''Pasteur'', the ''Daedalus''-class and pre-[[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] [[Vulcan (Star Trek)|Vulcan]] ships. Jefferies worked with NASA engineers in designing the ''Enterprise'' and the technology it used.

Contrary to popular belief, Jefferies did not create ''Star Trek''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s original shuttlecraft design: although Jefferies submitted his own concept, it was too complex to build with the show's FX and budget limitations of the time. [[Gene Winfield]]'s much simpler design was used instead, and Jefferies designed only its interior.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.starshipdatalink.net/art/galileo.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20051201225746/http://www.starshipdatalink.net/art/galileo.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2005-12-01 |title= FSD: Starship Concept Art - Designing the Galileo Shuttlecraft |website= Starshipdatalink.net |date=  |accessdate= 2009-10-03 }}</ref>

Jefferies had a very pragmatic design ethic: reasoning that a starship's engines would be extremely powerful and potentially dangerous, he positioned them far away from the rest of the ship, with the added benefit of modular design so that they could be ejected quickly in an emergency. Figuring that [[murphy's Law|whatever could go wrong would]], he put all of the ship's workings on the interior for easy access, eliminating the need for spacewalking in case of exterior repairs. The bridge panels were given an [[ergonomic]] design for comfort and ease of use. He was opposed to the idea of [[PADD]]s, as well as the goose-neck viewers that appeared in the first pilot.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}} Moreover, he disliked the idea of a large engine room because by his reckoning the entire ship could be run by a single panel on the bridge.{{Citation needed|date=March 2007}} Later, Jefferies' work on the [[bridge (ship)|bridge]] of the ''Enterprise'' influenced the design of the [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] master communications center at [[Naval Base San Diego]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/controldeck.php#cicfunct |title=Combat Information Center |accessdate=July 26, 2021 |quote=''(...) The bridge of the classic Star Trek Enterprise was designed by Matt Jeffries. In a second stunning example of science fiction innovation it influenced the design of the U.S. Navy master communications center at NAS San Diego. On US naval vessels, their bridge design does not look anything like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, but the Combat Information Center in a navy vessel does have some resemblances (mostly the Captain's chair in the center of the room). Again, refer to The Great Heinlein Mystery: Science Fiction, Innovation and Naval Technology by Edward M. Wysocki Jr. (...) Bridge of the starship Enterprise, designed by Matt Jeffries. This is a combination of a bridge (helm/navigation) and a CIC. Captain/Evaluator is in the command swivel chair in the center. All station are arranged so captain can look over the sholders of each operator and examine their displays. In the front is the big board viewscreen.'' |url-status=dead |archivedate=July 26, 2021 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20210726182747/http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/controldeck.php%23cicfunct#cicfunct }}</ref>

When Jefferies saw ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' he fell asleep. He never watched subsequent incarnations of ''Star Trek'', remarking that they had turned his Navy-esque bridge into "the lobby of the [[Hilton Hotel|Hilton]]."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/interviews/jefferies/page10.shtml |title= BBC Online - Cult - Star Trek - Matt Jefferies - A Hilton in space |website= BBC.co.uk |date= |accessdate= 2009-10-03}}</ref>

Within the ''[[Star Trek]]'' universe, [[Jefferies tube]]s and Captain Jefferies, designer of the NX-class starships,<ref>[[Home (Star Trek: Enterprise)|"Home"]], ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'', Season 4, Episode 3, Airdate: October 22, 2004.</ref> are named in his honor. According to Jefferies, the ''Enterprise'' was Starfleet's 17th starship design and it was the first in the series, therefore the ship had the number "1701". This story is documented in one of his sketches.<ref>[http://www.ottens.co.uk/forgottentrek/images/TOS/Enterprise%20concept%206%20by%20Matt%20Jefferies.jpg Jefferies signed sketch: "17th CRUISER DESIGN, SERIAL No1 - 1701"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003070909/http://www.ottens.co.uk/forgottentrek/images/TOS/Enterprise%20concept%206%20by%20Matt%20Jefferies.jpg |date=October 3, 2011 }}</ref>

In June 2003, Jefferies was the guest of honor at the presentation of a documentary about him prepared for the special edition of the ''[[Star Trek Generations]]'' [[DVD]]. Jefferies died the following month in [[Los Angeles]] of [[congestive heart failure]].<ref name="Variety.com"/>

==Additional activities==
Matt was a member of the Aviation Space Writers' Association and one of the original members of the [[American Aviation Historical Society]]. He restored and flew period airplanes as a hobby. He owned a [[Waco Custom Cabin series|Waco YOC]] aircraft and stored it at [[Santa Paula Airport]], California for many years. His YOC, ''NC17740'', c/n 4279, built in 1935, is now owned by the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society and was on display at the [[Virginia Aviation Museum]], [[Richmond, Virginia]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N17740.html | title= Aircraft Data N17740, 1935 Waco YOC C/N 4279 }}</ref>
==Personal life==
Jefferies died July 21, 2003, in [[Los Angeles]] of [[congestive heart failure]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Original 'Enterprise' Designer Matt Jefferies Dies |url=https://trektoday.com/news/210703_04.shtml |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=trektoday.com}}</ref> He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann Jefferies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pascale |first=Anthony |title=Star Trek TOS Designer John Jefferies Passes Away |url=https://trekmovie.com/2010/03/29/star-trek-tos-designer-john-jefferies-passes-away/ |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=[[TrekMovie.com]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Filmography (as art designer) ==
* ''[[Bombers B-52]]'' (1957)
* ''[[The Old Man and the Sea (1958 film)|The Old Man and the Sea]]'' (1958)
* ''[[The Wreck of the Mary Deare (film)|The Wreck of the Mary Deare]]'' (1959)
* ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Never So Few]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Ben Casey]]'' (1961)
* ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' (Set Designer; later Art Director) (1966–1969)
* ''[[Love, American Style]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Weekend of Terror]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Escape (television)|Escape]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]'' (1974)
* ''[[The Loneliest Runner]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Star Trek: Phase II]]'' (1977; never aired, inspiration for ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' two years later)
* ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Killing Stone]]'' (1978)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book | title = Beyond the Clouds: The Lifetime Trek of Walter "Matt" Jefferies, Artist and Visionary | first = Richard L | last = Jefferies | pages = 328 pages | publisher = Brown Books | date = February 15, 2008 | isbn = 978-1-933285-98-6 }}

== External links ==
* [http://www.mattjefferies.com/index.html Walter "Matt" Jefferies], official website
* {{IMDb name|0420142|Walter M. Jefferies}}

{{Memory Alpha|Matt Jefferies}}
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/clips/clip37.shtml BBC video interview]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040214135850/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/1616.html StarTrek.com Obituary]
*{{cite web|url=http://www.lcarscom.net/fsd/art/1701.html |title=Starship Concept Art |accessdate=2007-04-02 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231154831/http://www.lcarscom.net/fsd/art/1701.html |archivedate=December 31, 2006 |df=mdy }}
* [http://ottens.co.uk/forgottentrek/designing-the-first-enterprise/ Designing the First Enterprise]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferies, Matt}}
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:American art directors]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American science fiction artists]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers]]