George Partridge Colvocoresses (April 3, 1847 – September 10, 1932) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

rear admiral. He was the son of Captain George M. Colvocoresses, the adopted son of Captain

Alden Partridge Alden Partridge, (February 12, 1785 - January 17, 1854) was an American author, legislator, officer, surveyor, an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and a controversial pioneer in U.S. military edu ...

, founder of Norwich University in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. George P. was a graduate of the Norwich University class of 1866 and led a distinguished military career.

Life and career

He was born in

Norwich, Vermont Norwich is a town in Windsor County, in the U.S. state of Vermont. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshir ...

, on April 3, 1847, to Greek immigrant George M. Colvocoresses and Adeline Maria Swasey. He was named for his father's benefactor,

. He served under his father on the on South Atlantic blockade duty. The younger Colvocoresses eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral and was Commandant of Cadets at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

at Annapolis. He eventually served under then-Commodore

George Dewey George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with ...

with the

Asiatic Squadron The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron were primarily inv ...

at the

battle of Manila Bay The Battle of Manila Bay ( fil, Labanan sa Look ng Maynila; es, Batalla de Bahía de Manila), also known as the Battle of Cavite, took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore ...

. He entered the

, then located in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and northeast of New Yor ...

, in 1864, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and graduated in 1869. Colvocoresses served on most of the foreign naval stations, and in the Hydrographic Office at Washington, and in 1886 was assistant instructor in drawing at the United States Naval Academy, where he was an instructor in 1893–96 and commandant of midshipmen in 1905–1909. In 1890, the officers and men of the

dedicated a granite-and-marble monument to the memory of Lieut.

George W. De Long George Washington De Long (22 August 1844 – ) was a United States Navy officer and explorer who led the ill-fated ''Jeannette'' expedition of 1879–1881, in search of the Open Polar Sea. Career ''Jeannette'' expedition In 1879, ...

and the crew of the . Lieutenant George P. Colvocoresses designed the monument—a cross with carved icicles hanging from it that sits atop a cairn. The -high structure is in the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery overlooking the Severn River. He distinguished himself in service as executive officer on the cruiser at the

Battle of Manila Bay The Battle of Manila Bay ( fil, Labanan sa Look ng Maynila; es, Batalla de Bahía de Manila), also known as the Battle of Cavite, took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish–American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore ...

, May 1, 1898, in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

, where the United States won a decisive victory over the Spanish Fleet, helping to end the Spanish naval threat and establish the United States as one of the world's military "super powers." RADM George Partridge Colvocoresses

Commander Asa Walker, commander of the ''Concord'', had the following to say: "Each and every one of my subordinates did his whole duty with an enthusiasm and zeal beyond all praise. I am particularly indebted to the executive officer, Lieut. Commander George P. Colvocoresses, for the cool, deliberate, and efficient manner with which he met each phase of the action, and for his hearty cooperation in my plans." He participated in the capture of Manila on August 13, 1898, and shortly afterwards, became the executive officer of the cruiser . In 1899, he became a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the

Military Order of Foreign Wars The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (MOFW) is one of the oldest veterans' and hereditary associations in the nation with a membership that includes officers and their hereditary descendants from all of the Armed Services. Memb ...

. He also became a Companion of the California Commandery of

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

. He was promoted to captain in February 1905, and was retired in the rank of rear admiral on June 30, 1907. In 1919, Rear Admiral Colvocoresses, whose name appears on the Centennial Staircase at Norwich, delivered an address about Captain Alden Partridge on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Norwich University. Colvocoresses, married Minnie D. Van Nest she was the daughter of Theodore Eli Van Nest."Frederick Clifton Pierce"
''Field Genealogy'' Hammond Press W.B. Conkey Company, Chicago 1901: p. 389 They had one daughter and two sons: Edith B., Major Harold Colvocoresses U.S.M.C., and George M. (II) Colvocoresses. The son of George M. (II) Colvocoresses, Col.

Alden Partridge Colvocoresses Alden Partridge Colvocoresses (September 23, 1918 – March 27, 2007) helped to develop the Space-oblique Mercator projection with John P. Snyder and John Junkins, and developed the first satellite map of the United States in 1974. Biograp ...

, USA (Ret.), went on to develop the first satellite map of the United States.

Awards

* Dewey Medal *

Civil War Campaign Medal The Civil War Campaign Medal is considered the first campaign service medal of the United States Armed Forces. The decoration was awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces who had served in the American Civil War between 1861 and 186 ...

Spanish Campaign Medal The Spanish Campaign Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces which recognized those men of the U.S. military who had served in the Spanish–American War. Although a single decoration, there were two versions of the Spanish C ...

Philippine Campaign Medal The Philippine Campaign Medal is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, medal of the United States Armed Forces which was created to denote service of U.S. military men in the Philippine–American War between the years of 1899 an ...

Dates of rank

* Midshipman – 28 September 1864 * Graduated – 4 June 1869 * Ensign – 12 July 1870 * Master – 18 June 1872 * Lieutenant – 1 July 1875 * Lieutenant commander – 4 June 1897 * Commander – 30 June 1900 * Captain – 21 February 1905 * Rear admiral on Retired List – 30 June 1907 Served two years and two months as Captain's Clerk during the Civil War.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Colvocoresses, George Partridge 1847 births 1932 deaths American people of Greek descent Norwich University alumni United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Academy faculty United States Navy rear admirals People from Norwich, Vermont People of Vermont in the American Civil War Artists from Vermont 19th-century Greek Americans