James Harrison Oliver (1857 – April 6, 1928) was a

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

and member of the Naval Board of Strategy during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was also the first military

Governor of the United States Virgin Islands The governor of the United States Virgin Islands is the head of government of the United States Virgin Islands whose responsibilities also include making the annual State of the Territory addresses to the Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Virgi ...

from 1917 to 1919. He was often referred to as J. H. Oliver.

Biography

Oliver was born in

Houston County, Georgia Houston County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the Central Georgia, central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The estimated 2019 population is 157,863. Its county seat is Perry, Georgia, Perry; the c ...

. He graduated from

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

in 1872 and 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 ...

in 1877. In 1893, he moved to

Shirley Plantation Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virginia ...

Charles City, Virginia Charles City is a census-designated place (CDP) in Charles City County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Charles City County. The population as of the 2020 census was 104. The community is centered on the Charles City County Cou ...

and married; this would remain his home, while not serving in the Navy, for the remainder of his life.

Resignation from the Navy

In 1904, while a

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

commanding the , his ship was involved in a collision with a

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltwater of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inlan ...

which resulted in the deaths of 29 crewmembers of the schooner. He was arrested and to be

court-martial A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...

ed, but the trial was delayed for more than a year while he remained in command of his ship—despite being technically under arrest. (In Navy tradition, he had also been stripped of his sword—a humiliation.) He was subsequently acquitted "with honor". At the ceremony officially returning his sword to him, he broke the sword and threw it into the ocean and immediately resigned from the Navy. While retired, he was briefly appointed as the Inspector of the Fourteenth Lighthouse District in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. In 1906,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

formally reinstated his commission, reportedly saying (with respect to his resignation) "I'd have done the same thing myself." When reinstated, he was simultaneously promoted to

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

. He was promoted to

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1910 and Rear Admiral in 1916, just prior to the United States entrance into

. He was subsequently elevated to Chief of Naval Intelligence by 1917.

Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands

On March 28, 1917, he was appointed as Governor of the United States Virgin Islands by President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

. ( Edwin Taylor Pollock was made acting-Governor until his arrival.) He remained as Governor for two years, until 1919. He was awarded

Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps' second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is eq ...

for his service as a governor. Oliver was quickly granted a loan of $200,000 ($3.4 million, adjusted for inflation) by the government of the United States for expenses relating to the occupation, including the building of fortifications on the island and the stationing of troops. Being disappointed with the quality of native educators, he also requested that additional instructors be sent from the mainland. From 1919 until the end of the war, Oliver served on the Naval Board of Strategy. Oliver retired from the Navy in January 1921. He died of heart disease in 1928 at his home in Virginia.

References

* (''Announcing his retirement / resignation.'') * (''Appointment as inspector, listed as retired.'') * (''Appointment as Commander.'') * * * * * *

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, James Harrison United States Navy personnel of World War I 1857 births 1928 deaths People from Houston County, Georgia Governors of the United States Virgin Islands United States Navy admirals Directors of the Office of Naval Intelligence Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)

Biography

Resignation from the Navy

Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands

See also

References

External links