Hugh Rodman

Admiral, U.S. Navy

Hugh Rodman was born on 6 January 1859 in Frankfort, KY. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1880. Following duty in USS Yantic, USS Wachusett, USS Hartford, and USS Essex, and tours at the Hydrographic Office and at the U.S. Naval Observatory, came four years of survey duty along the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia.

During the Spanish-American War, he served in USS Raleigh (C-8) and was commended for his outstanding conduct in the Battle of Manila Bay. In 1899, he participated in scientific explorations in the Pacific under the direction of Alexander Agassiz. Then, in 1900, he returned to Alaska for work investigating its fisheries. From 1901-04, he commanded USS Iroquois in Hawaiian waters. Next on the Asiatic Station, he served in USS New Orleans (CL-22), USS Cincinnati (C-7), USS Wisconsin (BB-9) and, in 1905, commanded the gunboat USS Elcano on the Yangtze River Patrol.

From 1907-09, he attended the Naval War College and served as Lighthouse Inspector, 6th Naval District. In 1909 he returned to the Far East to serve in turn as Captain of the yard, Cavite, Philippine Islands, and as Commanding Officer of USS Cleveland (C-19). Captain of the yard, Mare Island Navy Yard, in 1911, he assumed command of USS Connecticut (BB-18), flagship, Atlantic Fleet, in 1912, and of USS Delaware (BB-28) in 1913. Duty as Marine Superintendent of the Panama Canal followed in 1914, and in 1915 he commanded USS New York (BB-34). During 1916 he served on the General Board.

Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in 1917, Rodman served as Commander, Battleship Division 9, Atlantic Fleet, in his flagship, New York. Ordered to European waters late in the year, his division joined the British Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow and became the 6th Battle Squadron, British Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir David Beatty. For the remainder of World War I, Rodman commanded his division in operations in the North Sea. For this service, he was invested as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by King George V.

Returning to the U.S. after the Armistice, he served with the Atlantic Fleet until 1 July 1919 when he was promoted to the four-star rank of Admiral and became Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Fleet. Detached in 1921, he served as Commandant, 5th Naval District, from 1921-22, interrupting that duty once for a mission to Peru as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary. During 1922-23, he was senior member of a board to formulate administrative policy for all shore stations and on reaching retirement age, 64, was transferred to the retired list as Admiral.

After his retirement, he continued to serve the U.S. and the Navy on various missions which included, in the summer of 1923, accompanying President Warren G. Harding on his ill-fated inspection of Alaska. In 1937, he represented the U.S. Navy at King George VI's coronation ceremonies in London.

Honors

The destroyer USS Rodman (DD-456) and the transport USS Admiral Hugh Rodman (AP-126) were named for him.

Death and Burial

Admiral Rodman died in Bethesda, MD on 7 June 1940 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in Section 3.