Francis Osborn Braynard (August 21, 1916 – December 10, 2007) was a prominent American author and maritime historian.
Born Francis Osborn Braynard in Glen Cove, New York, he earned an undergraduate degree in history from Duke University in 1939, and master's degree in maritime history from Columbia University.
[1] Along with Nils Hansell, Braynard launched the world's first Operation Sail, an extravaganza in which tall ships and naval vessels filled New York harbor, in 1964.
Braynard was also one of the creators of South Street Seaport, a complex of shops and urban amenities built in several blocks of old waterfront buildings on the East River in New York City.
He died on December 10, 2007, at the age of 91 at his long-time residence on Dubois Avenue in Sea Cliff, New York.