Gatewood Sanders Lincoln (August 5, 1875 – October 15, 1957) 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 ...

officer who served as the

governor of American Samoa This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since ...

. With Nathan Woodworth Post, Lincoln was one of only two

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...

n governors to serve non-consecutive terms. He commanded a supply ship 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 ...

, and was an instructor 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 ...

, serving as Department Head of the College of Electrical Engineering and Physics.

Biography

Gatewood Lincoln was born in

Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of Kansas City, located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 30,167. Liberty is home to Willi ...

to James Edwin and Margaret Lincoln, natives of

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

. His father, a cousin of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

, was probate judge of Clay County. Gatewood was James Lincoln's mother's maiden name. Lincoln studied at

William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...

in Liberty, before he was appointed to the

in 1892.

Naval career

Lincoln graduated from the Naval Academy in 1896, having been trained as a

naval engineer A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

. He ranked second in his class and received his first assignment by request of the captain of the '' USS Philadelphia''. He was awarded the

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 conduct as captain of the '' USS Powhatan'' on convoy duty during

. Lincoln served on the

United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...

advisory board during the 1930s, and also at the

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates th ...

. During WW I, he saw active duty in command of a supply ship in the Atlantic. After the war, as a

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. ...

, Lincoln was department head of Electrical Engineering and Physics at the Naval Academy. In 1943, he was called back to active duty to take command of the Naval Ammunition Depot Fallbrook, California.

Governorship

Lincoln served two terms as

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government of the United States. Since ...

, from 2 August 1929 to 24 March 1931 and from 17 July 1931 to 12 May 1932.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln, Gatewood Sanders 1875 births 1957 deaths People from Liberty, Missouri Governors of American Samoa United States Navy officers United States Naval Academy alumni United States Naval Academy faculty American engineers William Jewell College alumni Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States) Lincoln family