Theodore Roosevelt arrives Naval War College

Rear Admiral John Porter Merrell (7 September 1846 – 8 December 1916) was an officer in the

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 ...

. He served 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 ...

and as the 11th

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 ...

of the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associ ...

Naval career

Merrell was born in

Auburn, New York Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States. Located at the north end of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in Central New York, the city had a population of 26,866 at the 2020 census. It is the largest city of Cayuga County, th ...

, on 7 September 1846, the son of John Camp Merrell and the former Jane A. Allen. He entered 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 ...

on 20 July 1863, graduating in June 1867. Merrells first assignment was to the

European Squadron The European Squadron, also known as the European Station, was a part of the United States Navy in the late 19th century and the early 1900s. The squadron was originally named the Mediterranean Squadron and renamed following the American Civil Wa ...

from 1867 to 1870. While there, he served aboard the

screw A screw and a bolt (see '' Differentiation between bolt and screw'' below) are similar types of fastener typically made of metal and characterized by a helical ridge, called a ''male thread'' (external thread). Screws and bolts are used to f ...

sloop-of-war from 1867 to 1868, was promoted to

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

on 18 December 1868, and served aboard the screw sloop-of-war from 1869 to 1870. Merrell returned from

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in 1870 and performed

signals In signal processing, a signal is a function that conveys information about a phenomenon. Any quantity that can vary over space or time can be used as a signal to share messages between observers. The ''IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing'' ...

duty in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He was promoted to

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on 21 March 1870. From 1870 to 1871, he participated in the Darién Surveying Expedition, which attempted to

survey Survey may refer to: Statistics and human research * Statistical survey, a method for collecting quantitative information about items in a population * Survey (human research), including opinion polls Spatial measurement * Surveying, the techniq ...

a route for a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

across the Isthmus of Panama. After returning from the expedition, Merrell – who was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 21 March 1871 – served at the

Naval Torpedo Station The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is the United States Navy's full-spectrum research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support center for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, and offensive and defensive weapons ...

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 ...

, from 1872 to 1875, then aboard the screw frigate in the

North Atlantic Squadron The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...

from 1875 to 1877. He was the officer-in-charge of the

Naval Ordnance Proving Ground A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

from 1877 to 1879. In 1879, Merrell returned to sea, serving aboard the third-rate screw steamer in the North Atlantic Squadron and

South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

until 1881, when he transferred to the screw sloop-of-war in the North Atlantic Squadron, remaining aboard her until 1882. After leaving ''Shenandoah'', Merrell taught mathematics,

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

mechanics Mechanics (from Ancient Greek: μηχανική, ''mēkhanikḗ'', "of machines") is the area of mathematics and physics concerned with the relationships between force, matter, and motion among physical objects. Forces applied to object ...

, and chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1882 to 1887, then returned to sea from 1887 to 1889 as a member of the staff of the commander-in-chief of the European Squadron, embarked consecutively aboard the steamer , the screw corvette , and the screw sloop-of-war as each of those ships served as flagship. He was promoted to

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 ran ...

during this tour on 28 May 1888. Merrell again taught mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1889 to 1893, serving as head of the

Applied Mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathemati ...

Department from 1890 to 1893. He then served in 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 ...

aboard the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

from 1893 to 1895, and from 1895 to 1896 was a member of the State Department Commission charged with investigating anti-foreign riots in

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

in the

Chinese Empire The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

. Merrell was promoted to commander on 1 November 1896 and was inspector in the 13th Lighthouse District from 1896 until January 1898, when he joined the staff of the

in Newport,

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but it ...

. After the

broke out in April 1898, he transferred in May 1898 to the North Atlantic Squadron, where he served aboard the steamer and the

stores ship Store may refer to: Enterprises * Retail store, a shop where merchandise is sold, usually products and usually on a retail basis, and where wares are often kept ** App store, an online retail store where apps are sold, included in many mobile op ...

. Leaving ''Glacier'', he became the equipment officer at the New York Navy Yard in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, New York, in October 1898. He then served aboard the protected cruiser from 1899 until 1900, when he became equipment officer at the

Norfolk Navy Yard The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Promoted to captain on 26 September 1901, he served as Commandant of Naval Station New Orleans in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, from 1901 to June 1903, then returned to the staff of the Naval War College until October 1903, when he resumed his commandant duties at New Orleans. He returned to the Asiatic Squadron in 1904 as commanding officer of the battleship . Relinquishing command of ''Oregon'', Merrell returned to Newport, Rhode Island, to become the 11th

of the Naval War College on 24 May 1906. While president, he was promoted to rear admiral on 19 March 1907. The most notable event of his presidency was the suspension by direction of

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 ...

of the 1908 summer course on 8 July so that the

General Board of the United States Navy The General Board of the United States Navy was an advisory body of the United States Navy, somewhat akin to a naval general staff and somewhat not. The General Board was established by general order 544, issued on March 13, 1900 by Secretary ...

, the bureau chiefs of the

United States Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary o ...

, and the colleges staff and students could participate in a "Battleship Conference" at the college, with Roosevelt himself visiting to chair the conference for a day on 22 July 1908.

Secretary of the Navy The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense. By law, the se ...

Victor H. Metcalf Victor Howard Metcalf (October 10, 1853 – February 20, 1936) was an American politician; he served in President Theodore Roosevelt's cabinet as Secretary of Commerce and Labor, and then as Secretary of the Navy. Biography Born in Utica, New ...

closed the conference on 1 September 1908. Merrell was placed on the retirement list on 7 September 1908, but at the request of Secretary of the Navy Metcalf remained on active duty for an additional 13 months until 6 October 1909, when his college presidency ended and he left active Navy service.

Personal life

Merrell married Sarah Frances Tyler on 22 January 1872. The couple made their home in her home town,

Marshall Marshall may refer to: Places Australia * Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria Canada * Marshall, Saskatchewan * The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia Liberia * Marshall, Liberia Marshall Islands * Marshall Islands, an i ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. Merrell was a life member of the

United States Naval Institute The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

, as well as a member of the

Army and Navy Club The Army and Navy Club in London is a private members club founded in 1837, also known informally as The Rag.Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, the Naval Academy Club in Annapolis,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, and the Army and Navy Club in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

in the

Philippine Islands The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Death

Merrell fell ill while visiting his daughter and son-in-law in

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...

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, late in 1916, and died in their apartment on 8 December 1916. He is buried at the

United States Naval Academy Cemetery The United States Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium is a cemetery at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. History In 1868 the Naval Academy purchased a 67-acre piece of land called Strawberry Hill as part of their effort ...

.Anonymous, "Death of Rear Admiral John Merrell: Former Resident Passed Away Today at Apartments of Daughter, New London", ''The Marshall News Statesman'', December 8, 1916
/ref>

Notes

References

Anonymous, "The Darlen Surveying Expedition," ''The New York Times'', September 18, 1870, p. 5.

Past Presidents page at Naval War College official Web site

* ttps://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1909/10/06/101747518.pdf Anonymous. "Admiral Merrell Retires; Will Give Up Presidency of Naval War College Today." ''The New York Times'', October 6, 1909.
Anonymous. "Death of Rear Admiral John Merrell: Former Resident Passed Away Today at Apartments of Daughter, New London." ''The Marshall News Statesman'', December 8, 1916.

Hamersly, Lewis Randolph. ''The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps'', Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 1878.

Marquis, Albert Nelson, ed. ''Whos Who in America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of the United States, Volume VI, 1910–1911''. Chicago: A. N. Marquis & Company, 1910.

External links

Johnston Family Papers, 1865-1992 MS 452
held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy {{DEFAULTSORT:Merrell, John Porter 1846 births 1916 deaths People from Auburn, New York People from Marshall, Michigan United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Academy faculty Presidents of the Naval War College American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery Military personnel from Michigan