William Frederick Halsey (April 11, 1853 – June 11, 1920) was a United States naval officer. He is the father of William Halsey Jr., one of only four American naval officers to obtain the five-star rank of Fleet Admiral.

Biography

Early life

William Frederick Halsey was born on April 11, 1853, in New York, New York, the son of Eliza Grace (King) and Charles Henry Halsey.[1] He was a descendant of United States Senator Rufus King. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy from Louisiana and entered naval service a midshipman at the Naval Academy in September 1869.

Career

As a lieutenant, Halsey was stationed on the USS Ranger (c. 1888),[2] USS Miantonomoh (c. 1894),[3] USS New York (c. 1894)[4] and was navigator of the USS Newark in May 1898.[5][6] During the Spanish–American War the Newark served as the flagship of Commodore John C. Watson during the engagement of Aguadores and as part of the fleet blockading Santiago, Cuba. That September, he received orders to the Naval Academy.[7]

In 1898 he became a member of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars.[5]

In February 1900, he received orders detaching him from the Naval Academy and ordering him to report to the USS Adams, as Executive Officer, in San Diego, California.[8]

Halsey was promoted to commander in 1902 and served as head of the Department of Seamanship at the United States Naval Academy.[9] While a commander, he served as commanding officer of the USS Atlanta (briefly, in 1905) and the USS Des Moines (c. 1905).[10]

Halsey was promoted to the rank of captain in 1906. He retired from the Navy, at his own request, on June 30, 1907, but continued to serve on active duty at the Bureau of Construction and Repair until 1919.

Death

He died on June 11, 1920, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His wife Anne, who died on May 25, 1947, is buried with him, and his son, Fleet Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, Jr. (October 30, 1882-August 16, 1959) is buried beside him.[11]

Personal life

He married Anne Masters Brewster, and on October 30, 1882, their son, future World War II hero Bull Halsey, was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Dates of rank

Ensign Lieutenant Junior Grade Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Commander Captain
O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6
July 1874 March 1883 March 1886 March 1899 November 1902 September 1906

References

  1. ↑ Wukovits, John (2010). Admiral "Bull" Halsey: The Life and Wars of the Navy's Most Controversial Commander. St. Martin's Publishing. ISBN 978-0230109599.
  2. ↑ United States, Bureau of Naval Personnel (1891). General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 20.
  3. ↑ United States, Bureau of Naval Personnel (1894). General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 11.
  4. ↑ Navy Department, Bureau of Navigation (1895). Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 11.
  5. 1 2 Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (1900). Register of the Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, National Commandery. New York: New York. p. 162.
  6. ↑ United States, Bureau of Naval Personnel (1898). General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. p. 9.
  7. ↑ "Naval Orders". The Sun (New York). 20 September 1898. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  8. ↑ "Changes Among Line and Marines". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. No. Volume XXXI, No. 5462. 7 February 1900. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Driskill, Frank (1983). Chester W. Nimitz: Admiral of the Hills. Austin, Texas: Eakin Press. pp. 58. ISBN 0-89015-364-7.
  10. ↑ United States, Bureau of Naval Personnel (1905). General Register of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
  11. ↑ Burial Detail: Halsey, William F – ANC Explorer
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