Matt Jefferies

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.

Jefferies died July 21, 2003 in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. He was survived by his wife, Mary Ann Jefferies, and his brothers John and Richard. His brother Philip died in 1987.

Walter Matthew Jefferies (August 12, 1921 – July 21, 2003) 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 Enterprise, and the bridge and sick bay.

He was a member of the Aviation Space Writers' Association and one of the original members of the American Aviation Historical Society. Jefferies restored and flew period airplanes as a hobby. He owned a 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.

Within the Star Trek universe, Jefferies tubes and Captain Jefferies, designer of the NX-class starships, 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.