William Sheffield Cowles (August 1, 1846 – May 1, 1923) 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 regard ...

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 of ...

Naval career

In July 1863 he was appointed an acting midshipman 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 is ...

and graduated in June 1867. He was commissioned as an ensign in December 1868. He rose through the ranks and was commissioned as a commander in June 1898. Cowles commanded the gunboat, 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 = (cloc ...

, and served as naval aide to

President McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

. He was in command of the battleship when it collided with the , and when thirty-three men were killed in an explosion (he was cleared of responsibility in both cases). He served as the Commander-in-Chief,

Asiatic Fleet The United States Asiatic Fleet was a fleet of the United States Navy during much of the first half of the 20th century. Before World War II, the fleet patrolled the Philippine Islands. Much of the fleet was destroyed by the Japanese by Februa ...

, and retired from the Navy in August 1908 after 45 years in service. He was a companion of the District of Columbia Commandery of the

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 ...

and an honorary companion of the Connecticut 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 ...

. On December 2, 1908, Cowles submitted a report, prepared by Lieutenant George C. Sweet, recommending the purchase of aircraft suitable for operating from naval ships on scouting and observation mission to the

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 ...

. Cowles was an official representative at the coronation of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Quee ...

in 1911.

Personal life

Cowles married Mary Thurman, the oldest daughter of Ohio politician

Allen G. Thurman Allen Granberry Thurman (November 13, 1813 – December 12, 1895), sometimes erroneously spelled Allan Granberry Thurman, was a Democratic U.S. representative, Ohio Supreme Court justice, and Senator from Ohio. He was the Democratic Par ...

, on February 18, 1873. In November 1889, Thurman divorced Cowles. They did not have any children. On November 25, 1895, he married Anna "Bamie" Roosevelt, daughter of philanthropist

Theodore Roosevelt Sr. Theodore Roosevelt Sr. (September 22, 1831 – February 9, 1878) was an American businessman and philanthropist from the Roosevelt family. Roosevelt was also the father of President Theodore Roosevelt and the paternal grandfather of First Lady ...

and socialite Martha Stewart "Mittie" Bulloch and elder sister of President Theodore "T.R." Roosevelt Jr. William and Bamie had one son, William Jr. (1898–1986), who was a Connecticut State Representative and Mayor of

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 mile ...

. William and Bamie are buried at Riverside Cemetery in Farmington, Connecticut.

References

External links

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1846 births 1923 deaths United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) People from Farmington, Connecticut Roosevelt family Military aides to the President of the United States Military personnel from Connecticut Bulloch family Burials in Connecticut {{US-navy-bio-stub