William Sowden Sims (October 15, 1858 – September 28, 1936) was an admiral 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 ...
who fought during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to modernize the navy. During World War I, he commanded all United States naval forces operating in Europe. He also served twice as
president of the Naval War College
The president of the Naval War College is a flag officer in the United States Navy. The President's House, Naval War College, President's House in Newport, Rhode Island is their official residence.
The office of the president was created along ...
.
Career
Sims was born to American father Alfred William (1826–1895) and Canadian mother Adelaide (née Sowden; b. 1835) living in
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, approximately east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County. ...
, Canada. He graduated from 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 1880, the beginnings of an era of naval reform and greater professionalization. Commodore
Stephen B. Luce
Stephen Bleecker Luce (March 25, 1827 – July 28, 1917) was a U.S. Navy admiral. He was the founder and first president of the Naval War College, between 1884 and 1886.
Biography
Born in Albany, New York, to Dr. Vinal Luce and Charlotte Bleecke ...
founded 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 associat ...
in Newport, Rhode Island in 1884, to be the service's professional school. During the same era, Naval War College instructor Captain
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan (; September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His book '' The Influence of Sea Power ...
was writing influential books on naval strategy and sea power.
In March 1897, shortly after his promotion to lieutenant, Sims was assigned as the military attaché to Paris and St. Petersburg. In this position he became aware of naval technology developments in Europe as well gaining familiarity with European politics which would greatly assist him during World War I. He was in this assignment during 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 = (clock ...
during which Sims was able to use his diplomatic connections to gain information on Spain and its high-ranking officials.
Gunnery
As a young officer, Sims sought to reform naval gunnery by improving target practice. His superiors resisted his suggestions, failing to see the necessity. He was also hindered by his low rank. In 1902, Sims wrote directly to President
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 ...
. The president, who had previously served as
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy.
From 1861 to 1954, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was the second-highest civilian office in the Depar ...
, was intrigued by Sims' ideas and made him the Navy's Inspector of Naval Gunnery on November 5, 1902, shortly after which Sims 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 rank i ...
. He was 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.
...
in 1907.
From 1911 to 1912, Sims attended 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 associat ...
. 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 1911, he became Commander, Atlantic Destroyer Flotilla in July 1913.
On March 11, 1916, Sims became the first captain of the battleship . ''Nevada'' was the largest, most modern and most powerful ship in the U.S. Navy at that time. His selection as her captain shows the esteem in which he was held in the Navy.
First World War
Shortly before the United States entered World War I, then
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 ...
Sims was assigned as the president of the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island in February 1917. Just before the U.S. entered the war, the
Wilson administration
Woodrow Wilson's tenure as the 28th president of the United States lasted from 4 March 1913 until 4 March 1921. He was largely incapacitated the last year and a half. He became president after winning the 1912 election. Wilson was a Democrat ...
sent him to London as the senior naval representative. After the U.S. entry in April 1917, Sims was given command over U.S. naval forces operating from Britain. He received a temporary promotion to
vice admiral in May 1917.
The major threat he faced was a highly effective German submarine campaign against freighters bringing vital food and munitions to the Allies. The combined Anglo-American naval war against U-boats in the western approaches to the British Isles in 1917–18 was a success due to ability of Sims to work smoothly with his British counterpart, Admiral Sir
Lewis Bayly
Lewis may refer to:
Names
* Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name
* Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname
Music
* Lewis (musician), Canadian singer
* " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohea ...
.
Sims believed the Navy Department in Washington, which was effectively headed by Assistant Secretary
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, was failing to provide him with sufficient authority, information, autonomy, manpower, and naval forces.
He ended the war as a vice admiral, in command of all U.S. naval forces operating in Europe. Shortly after the
Armistice , Sims was promoted to temporary admiral in December 1918 but reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral in April 1919 when he was assigned as president of the Naval War College.
Attack on Daniels
In 1919 after the war ended in Allied victory, Sims publicly attacked the deficiencies of American naval strategy, tactics, policy, and administration. He charged the failures had cost the Allies 2,500,000 tons of supplies, thereby prolonging the war by six months. He estimated the delay had raised the cost of the war to the Allies by $15 billion, and that it led to the unnecessary loss of 500,000 lives. Secretary of the Navy
Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels (May 18, 1862 – January 15, 1948) was an American newspaper editor and publisher from the 1880s until his death, who controlled Raleigh's ''News & Observer'', at the time North Carolina's largest newspaper, for decades. A D ...
was more of a politician than a naval strategist, but he ably countered the accusations. He pointed to Sims'
anglophilism
An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents.
Etymology
The word is derived from the Latin word ''Anglii'' and Ancient Greek word φίλος ''philos'', meaning "frien ...
, and said his vantage point in London was too narrow to assess accurately the overall war effort by the U.S. Navy. Daniels cited prewar naval preparations and strategy proposals made by other American leaders during the war to disprove Sims' charges.
Despite the public acrimony, Sims emerged with his reputation unharmed, although some historians believe it cost him promotion to the rank of
Admiral of the Navy
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
. He did however serve a second tour as president of the Naval War College (1919–1922). It was during his time as the Naval War College that he wrote and published his book ''
The Victory at Sea
''The Victory at Sea'' is a 1920 military history book by Admiral William Sims in collaboration with Burton J. Hendrick. It concern's Sims' career in the Atlantic theater of World War I. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer ...
'' which describes his experiences in World War I. In 1921 ''The Victory at Sea'' won the
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History, administered by Columbia University, is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished book about the history ...
. Sims is, possibly, the only career naval officer to win a Pulitzer Prize. (Rear Admiral
Samuel E. Morison
Samuel Eliot Morison (July 9, 1887 – May 15, 1976) was an American historian noted for his works of maritime history and American history that were both authoritative and popular. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1912, and tau ...
won two Pulitzer Prizes but only served nine years in the Naval Reserve.)
Retirement and death
![TIMEMagazine26Oct1925](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/TIMEMagazine26Oct1925.jpg)
Sims retired from the Navy in October 1922, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 64. In retirement he lived at 73 Catherine Street in Newport, Rhode Island. He appeared on the cover of the October 26, 1925 issue of
''Time'' magazine and was the subject of a feature article. He was promoted to full admiral on the retired list in 1930.
Admiral Sims died in
Boston, Massachusetts, in 1936 at the age of 77. He is buried in
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
Personal life
Sims married Anne Erwin Hitchcock, who was sixteen years his junior, in 1905. The couple had five children, three daughters (Margaret, Adelaide and Anne) and two sons (William S. Sims, Jr. and Ethan Sims). Mrs. Sims died in 1960 at age 85.
Awards
His account of the U.S. naval effort during World War I, ''The Victory at Sea'', won the 1921
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History, administered by Columbia University, is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished book about the history ...
. In 1929 was honored with a
Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
from
Bates College
Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...
.
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
conferred the honorary degree of doctor of laws upon Rear Admiral Sims on 2 June 1920. Several weeks later,
Williams College
Williams College is a Private college, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a col ...
conferred on him the honorary degree of doctor of laws during its June 21, 1920, commencement exercises.
Four U.S. Navy vessels have been named for Sims. Two ships have been named —the World War II-era destroyer and destroyer escort . A transport vessel was named . Additionally the was commissioned in 1970 and decommissioned in 1991.
The United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp panel on February 4, 2010. One of the stamps depicted Admiral Sims.
In 1947, the Naval War College acquired an existing barracks building, which they converted to a secondary war-gaming facility, naming it
Sims Hall
This list of Syracuse University buildings catalogs currently-existing structures of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.
The University's archives document the university's buildings back to the start of its operations in rented space in 1 ...
after its former president.
Honours and awards
;United States military awards;
*
Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a high award of a nation.
Examples include:
*Distinguished Service Medal (Australia) (established 1991), awarded to personnel of the Australian Defence Force for distinguished leadership in action
* Distinguishe ...
(declined in a dispute with
Secretary Daniels over awards)
*
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 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 and 1913. Although a single service medal, the Philippin ...
*
Mexican Service Medal
The Mexican Service Medal is an award of the United States military for service in Mexico from 1911 to 1919.
History
The Mexican Service Medal awarded by the Army was established by General Orders of the United States War Department on December ...
*
Victory Medal
;Foreign honors;
* Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III.
...
(United Kingdom) (1918)
* Grand Officer of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
(France) (1919)
* Grand Cordon in the
Order of Leopold (Belgium)
[Rd of 22.12.1919]
* Grand Officer of the
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...
;Other honors;
*
Theodore Roosevelt Association The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) is a historical and cultural organization dedicated to honoring the life and work of Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th President of the United States.
The group is based in Oyster Bay, New York, whe ...
Distinguished Service Medal (1926)
*
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
Distinguished Service Medal (1930)
*
Pulitzer Prize for History
The Pulitzer Prize for History, administered by Columbia University, is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished book about the history ...
(1921)
Dates of rank
*Cadet Midshipman, United States Naval Academy - 24 June 1876
*
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...
- 22 June 1880
*Ensign (junior grade) - 3 March 1883
*Ensign - 26 June 1884
*Lieutenant (junior grade) - 9 May 1893
*Lieutenant - 1 January 1897
*Lieutenant Commander - 21 November 1902
*Commander - 1 July 1907
*Captain - 4 March 1911
*Rear Admiral - Selected on 29 August 1916, but remained number 31 of 30 flag officers remaining in the rank of captain while awaiting billet until 23 March 1917.
*Vice Admiral (temporary) - 25 May 1917
*Admiral (temporary) - 4 December 1918
*Rear Admiral - Upon returning to the Presidency of the Naval War College on 11 April 1919
*Rear Admiral, Retired List - 15 October 1922
*Admiral, Retired List - June 21, 1930
See also
*
List of people on the cover of ''Time'' magazine: 1920s
Notes
References
* Allard, Dean C., "Admiral William S. Sims and United States Naval Policy in World War I" in ''
American Neptune
The ''American Neptune: A Quarterly Journal of Maritime History and Arts'' was an academic journal covering American maritime history from its establishment in 1941 until it ceased publication in 2002.
History
Established by Samuel Eliot Moriso ...
'' 35 (April 1975): 97–110.
*Coletta, Paolo E. "Naval Lessons of the Great War: The William Sims-Josephus Daniels Controversy," ''American Neptune,'' Sept 1991, Vol. 51 Issue 4, pp 241–251
* Hagan, Kenneth J., "The Critic Within" in ''Naval History'' (December 1998): 20-25
* Hagan, Kenneth J., "William S. Sims: Naval Insurgent and Coalition Warrior" in ''The Human Tradition in the Gilded Age and Progressive Era'' Ballard C. Campbell, ed. (Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 2000), 187-203
* Hagan, Kenneth J., and Michael T. McMaster, "His Remarks Reverberated from Berlin to Washington," ''U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings'' (December 2010): 66–71.
* Little, Branden, and Kenneth J. Hagan, "Radical, But Right: William Sowden Sims (1858-1936)" in ''Nineteen Gun Salute: Case Studies of Operational, Strategic, and Diplomatic Naval Leadership during the 20th and early 21st Centuries'', eds. John B. Hattendorf and Bruce Elleman (Newport, RI and Washington, D.C.: Naval War College Press & Government Printing Office, 2010), 1-10.
*
Morison, Elting E., ''Admiral Sims and the Modern American Navy'' (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1942), the standard scholarly biography, by the husband of his daughter Anne Hitchcock Sims
* Simpson, Michael, "William S. Sims, U.S. Navy, and Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, Royal Navy: An Unlikely Friendship, and Anglo-American Cooperation" in ''Naval War College Review'', Vol. 41 (Spring 1988): 60-80
*Steele, Chuck. "America's Greatest Great-War Flag Officer," ''Naval History Magazine'' (2013) 27#
online
External links
*
ttp://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a3/admiral_w_s_sims.htm ''Admiral W.S. Sims'' (AP-127) Dictionary of American Fighting Naval Shipsbr>
Naval History Bibliography, World War I, 1917-198, Naval Historical CenterRegister of the Papers of William S. Sims
*
*
* Retrieved on 2008-02-11
William S. Sims Navigation Notes, 1892 MS 373held by Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library at the United States Naval Academy
Admiral Jellicoe Greets Admiral Sims, 20:53 to 21:35, and the First American Destroyers Arrive in England, 21:36 to 24:10
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims, William S.
1858 births
1936 deaths
American military personnel of the Spanish–American War
United States Navy personnel of World War I
Pulitzer Prize for History winners
Admirals of World War I
United States Naval Academy alumni
United States Navy admirals
People from Northumberland County, Ontario
Presidents of the Naval War College
Naval War College alumni
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
United States naval attachés
Canadian military personnel from Ontario