Nathaniel Bowditch
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![Frontispiece of the 1802 first edition of The American Practical Navigator.](/Images/godic/202501/29/Bowditch-1st-edition3132.jpg")
![Nathaniel Bowditch's memorial statue by Robert Ball Hughes, in Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts.](/Images/godic/202501/29/Nathaniel_Bowditch_in_Mount_Auburn_Cemetery3132.JPG")
Nathaniel Bowditch (/ˈbaʊdɪtʃ/; March 26, 1773 – March 16, 1838) was an early American mathematician remembered for his work on ocean navigation. He is often credited as the founder of modern maritime navigation; his book The New American Practical Navigator, first published in 1802, is still carried on board every commissioned U.S. Naval vessel.