Rear Admiral Thomas Oliver Selfridge (24 April 1804 – 15 October 1902) 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 ...

during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

and the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

and was the father of another rear admiral, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr.

Career

Selfridge was appointed midshipman on 1 January 1818, at the age of 13. 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 ...

in 1827, he served in the

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Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, and

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval s ...

s. He took command of the sloop , in May 1847 and participated in the capture of

Mazatlán Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding '' municipio'', known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip ...

and

Guaymas Guaymas () is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and from the U.S. border. The municipality is located on the Gulf of Cali ...

. Badly wounded in the latter engagement, he was invalided home in June 1848. He was promoted to captain in 1855 and was subsequently assigned to the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

, where he remained until 1861. He commanded the paddle frigate , flagship of the

Gulf Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

, on blockade duty off Mobile, Alabama and off the passes of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

Retirement

Selfridge's old wound forced him to relinquish his command in February 1862. He was promoted to commodore on July 16, 1862 and commanded the

Mare Island Navy Yard 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 t ...

until 1864. He retired from the Navy on April 24, 1866 after 48 years of service. In 1867, he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral on the retired list to date from 25 July 1866 in honor of his long and distinguished career. When his son, Thomas O. Selfridge, Jr., was promoted to rear admiral on February 28, 1896, they became the first father and son to be living when they were both U.S. Navy admirals. He was a Companion of the First Class 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 Veteran Companion 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 ...

. Rear Admiral Selfridge died in Waverly (now part of Belmont, Massachusetts) in 1902 at the age of 98.

Namesakes

* The United States Navy destroyer was named for him, while was named for him and his son.

Dates of Rank

*Midshipman - 1 January 1818 *Lieutenant - 3 March 1827 *Commander - 11 April 1844 *Captain - 14 September 1855 *Commodore - 16 July 1862 *Retired - 24 April 1866 *Rear Admiral on Retired List - 25 July 1866

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Selfridge, Thomas O. 1804 births 1902 deaths Union Navy officers United States Navy admirals