Carlton Skinner
Encyclopedia
Carlton S. Skinner was the first civilian governor of Guam
and a prominent advocate for the integration of the United States Armed Forces
. President
Harry Truman appointed Skinner governor in 1949, after the United States Navy
ceded control of the island to the Department of the Interior
.
, originally attended Wesleyan University
where he was a member of the fraternity that later became a chapter of The Kappa Alpha Society
and transferred from there to the University of California at Los Angeles. Prior to World War II, he was a correspondent for United Press International and The Wall Street Journal
World War II
. From 1947 to 1949 he served as Public Relations Director and then as a special assistant to the United States Secretary of the Interior
.
Lieutenant, Skinner commanded the USCGC Sea Cloud
, a weather ship
. When the United States entered World War II
, the Coast Guard was integrated into the Navy, and the Sea Cloud was sent out on combat service. Leaving Boston
, the Sea Cloud participated in sinking one submarine. Earlier, while serving as executive officer
of the USCGC Northland
, Skinner began to question the Armed Forces policy of ship segregation. The Northland, stranded during a patrol with no engine, was saved when a black steward crewman got the engine started after white engineers were unable. When Skinner recommended the man for promotion, he was told that blacks were only allowed to be steward's mates. Seeking to prove a point, Skinner sailed with the Navy's first fully integrated crew since the Civil War
, with duties spread equally among white and black crewmen. Future black artist Jacob Lawrence
was among the men who served on the Sea Cloud under Lieutenant Skinner.
After the Sea Cloud, Skinner commanded a second integrated crew aboard the USS Hoaquim near the Aleutian Islands. Noting the success of Skinner's two commands, the Navy integrated the USS Mason
, and dropped ship segregation completely within the next few decades. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
Vincent W. Patton III
said of Skinner: "I will say without question that he was the front guard of integrating the U.S. military forces in World War II, and the man got very little credit for it".
ceded control, Truman appointed Carlton Skinner governor of Guam on September 17, 1949. As governor, Skinner established Guam's first university at the University of Guam
. He also wrote the Constitution of Guam, which is still in use today.
for American President Lines
, Colt Industries, and Fairbanks-Morse
. John F. Kennedy
and Lyndon B. Johnson
appointed Skinner to two consecutive terms on the South Pacific Commission. He eventually became a San Francisco businessman and owner of Skinner & Co., a financial consulting firm. Skinner died of heart failure on June 22, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 91. A plaza in Agana is named in Skinner's honor.
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and a prominent advocate for the integration of the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry Truman appointed Skinner governor in 1949, after the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
ceded control of the island to the Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
.
Life and education
Skinner, a native of Palo Alto, CaliforniaPalo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, originally attended Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
where he was a member of the fraternity that later became a chapter of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
and transferred from there to the University of California at Los Angeles. Prior to World War II, he was a correspondent for United Press International and The Wall Street Journal
World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. From 1947 to 1949 he served as Public Relations Director and then as a special assistant to the United States Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
.
Military service
As a Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
Lieutenant, Skinner commanded the USCGC Sea Cloud
USCGC Sea Cloud (WPG-284)
USCGC Sea Cloud was a weather ship for the United States Coast Guard and United States Navy during World War II. The ship served as the first racially integrated warship in the United States Armed Forces since the American Civil War. Originally a private yacht, she was transferred to the Coast...
, a weather ship
Weather ship
A weather ship was a ship stationed in the ocean as a platform for surface and upper air meteorological observations for use in weather forecasting. They were primarily located in the north Atlantic and north Pacific oceans, reporting via radio...
. When the United States entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Coast Guard was integrated into the Navy, and the Sea Cloud was sent out on combat service. Leaving Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the Sea Cloud participated in sinking one submarine. Earlier, while serving as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of the USCGC Northland
USCGC Northland (WPG-49)
The Coast Guard cutter Northland, WPG-49, a cruising class of gunboat especially designed for Arctic operations, served in World War II, and served in the Israeli navy.-Design:...
, Skinner began to question the Armed Forces policy of ship segregation. The Northland, stranded during a patrol with no engine, was saved when a black steward crewman got the engine started after white engineers were unable. When Skinner recommended the man for promotion, he was told that blacks were only allowed to be steward's mates. Seeking to prove a point, Skinner sailed with the Navy's first fully integrated crew since the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, with duties spread equally among white and black crewmen. Future black artist Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter; he was married to fellow artist Gwendolyn Knight. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem.Lawrence is among the best-known twentieth...
was among the men who served on the Sea Cloud under Lieutenant Skinner.
After the Sea Cloud, Skinner commanded a second integrated crew aboard the USS Hoaquim near the Aleutian Islands. Noting the success of Skinner's two commands, the Navy integrated the USS Mason
USS Mason (DE-529)
USS Mason , an Evarts-class destroyer escort, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named Mason, though DE-529 was the only one specifically named for Ensign Newton Henry Mason. The USS Mason was one of two US Navy ships with largely African-American crews in World War II. The other...
, and dropped ship segregation completely within the next few decades. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Coast Guard.The holder of this rank and post is the senior enlisted member of the U.S...
Vincent W. Patton III
Vincent W. Patton III
Vincent W. Patton, III, B.A., B.S., M.A., M.Th., Ed.D. is a retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard in the United States.- Career overview :...
said of Skinner: "I will say without question that he was the front guard of integrating the U.S. military forces in World War II, and the man got very little credit for it".
Governorship
When the Department of the Interior began to oversee Guam, Skinner was a Public Relations Officer for the Department. After the Department selected him and the Department of the NavyUnited States Department of the Navy
The Department of the Navy of the United States of America was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy and, from 1834 onwards, for the United States Marine Corps, and when directed by the President, of the...
ceded control, Truman appointed Carlton Skinner governor of Guam on September 17, 1949. As governor, Skinner established Guam's first university at the University of Guam
University of Guam
University of Guam is a four-year land-grant institution, located in the village of Mangilao on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific Ocean...
. He also wrote the Constitution of Guam, which is still in use today.
Post-governorship
After leaving the governor's post in 1953, Skinner lived in various locations around the world, serving as chief financial officerChief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...
for American President Lines
American President Lines
American President Lines Ltd. is the world's seventh-largest container transportation and shipping company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining intermodal freight transport operations with IT and e-commerce...
, Colt Industries, and Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks-Morse
Fairbanks Morse and Company was a manufacturing company in the late 19th and early 20th century. Originally a weighing scale manufacturer, it later diversified into pumps, engines, windmills, locomotives and industrial supplies until it was merged in 1958...
. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
appointed Skinner to two consecutive terms on the South Pacific Commission. He eventually became a San Francisco businessman and owner of Skinner & Co., a financial consulting firm. Skinner died of heart failure on June 22, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the age of 91. A plaza in Agana is named in Skinner's honor.