William Shepherd Benson
William Shepherd Benson (born September 25, 1855 in Macon , Georgia , † May 20, 1932 in Washington, DC ) was an American admiral .
biography
Benson was the son of Catherine Brewer Benson (1822-1908), one of the first women to earn a university bachelor's degree in the United States. His father was Richard Aaron Benson; the family had eight children. His son Commodore Howard Hartwell James Benson was also a career officer in the Navy.
Benson graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1877 . His first years of service included a circumnavigation of the world aboard the Dolphin during the 1880s. The next few years he devoted himself to coastal surveying and hydrographic tasks, taught at the Naval Academy, commanded the cruiser Albany (CL-23) and served as chief of staff of the fleet. In 1911 he became the first captain in command of the battleship Utah (BB-31) . From 1913 to 1915 he was the commandant of the Philadelphia Navy Yard . From there he was transferred to Washington, where he became the Navy's first Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) after his promotion to Rear Admiral . In this capacity he replaced Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske , the last aide for naval duties.
Benson was dedicated to strengthening the Navy at a time marked by tensions within the Department of the Navy , US intervention in the Caribbean and Central America, and the start of World War I in Europe. He was instrumental in defining the functions of the new CNO position. After his promotion to admiral in 1916, his area of responsibility grew sharply when the USA entered the war in April 1917. For the next 18 months he oversaw a major expansion of the Navy, expansion of operations into European waters, and the US Army transport to France. After the armistice with Germany in November 1918, he and John J. Pershing were an active military participant in the extensive peace negotiations in France.
Benson retired from the Navy in September 1919. For the next ten years, he headed the United States Shipping Board .
He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Honors
- The destroyer USS Benson , lead ship of the Benson class , was named after him.
- The Benson Street in Charleston , South Carolina got its name.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Benson, William Shepherd |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American admiral |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 25, 1855 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Macon , Georgia |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 20, 1932 |
| Place of death | Washington, DC |