Frank Freyer
Encyclopedia
Frank Barrows Freyer was an United States Navy
captain who served as the 14th Naval Governor of Guam. Freyer graduated from the United States Naval Academy
in 1902, having played several collegiate sports there. The Navy assigned him to many different ships, including having him participate in the Great White Fleet
and its visit to Japan
. Soon after, he was transferred to the Naval Base Guam, where he served as assistant to the Commandant before from November 5, 1910 to January 21, 1911, he became acting governor of the island. As governor, he suspended the licenses of all midwives on the island because of an alarming rate of infection, requiring them all to be re-certified. After George Salisbury
relieved him of the position, Freyer became his aide.
In 1913, he received a Bachelor of Laws
from George Washington University
and, in 1918, became assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy
. After agreeing to help Peru
restructure its naval forces, the United States Navy ordered Freyer there to take command of the efforts; he became Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy
the following year. In the position, he helped rebuild the naval tactics and education of the country, and stayed there for many years. During his stay, Freyer collected over 1,000 works of Peruvian art, now on display as the "Frank Barrow Freyer Collection" at the Denver Art Museum
. He went on to command the USS Procyon
and the USS Trenton
before retiring.
. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy
in 1902 and received a Bachelor of Laws
from George Washington University
in 1913. He married and two children, a daughter Engracia and a son Frank Barrow Freyer II. His granddaughter, G. Diane Freyer, married William Schneider, Jr.
, an Under-Secretary of State in the Reagan administration
. After retiring from the Navy, Freyer and his wife lived in Denver, Colorado
. He and his wife were avid art collectors, amassing a painting and furniture collection of over 1,000 works of Peruvian artwork. The "Frank Barrow Freyer Collection" has been displayed in numerous museums, including the Newark Museum
, the Brooklyn Museum
, the Columbus Museum of Fine Arts
, and the Toledo Museum of Art
. Many of the collection's pieces currently reside in the Denver Art Museum
, and a piece from the collection, Ignacio Chacón's Madonna and Child with Bird, was depicted on a United States postage stamp in 2006.
. While attending the Academy, he participated as a member of the Navy Midshipmen
crew
team and as a fullback for the Navy Midshipmen football
team. He was also a member of the Kappa Sigma
fraternity. Soon after graduating, Freyer served as an ensign aboard the USS Olympia
in 1903. Freyer later served aboard the USS Missouri
during its visit to Japan
as part of the Great White Fleet
. In 1917, Freyer was stationed aboard the USS Oregon
. In 1918, he was transferred to Washington, D.C.
, where he became assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy
.
Freyer, now a commander, sailed for Peru
in August 1920 as head of a mission aiding in the reorganization of the Peruvian Navy
. He was soon named Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy in January 1921, using the position to rebuild Peruvian naval education and command. For his service to Peru
, the Congress of the Republic of Peru awarded him the nation's highest award, the Order of the Sun. After leaving Peru, he captained the USS Procyon
. In 1929, Captain Freyer commanded the USS Trenton
.
by suspending the licenses of all pattera, or midwives
, and requiring that they all pass an additional recertification exam. After leaving the governorship, Lieutenant Freyer became aide to Governor George Salisbury
.
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...
captain who served as the 14th Naval Governor of Guam. Freyer graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1902, having played several collegiate sports there. The Navy assigned him to many different ships, including having him participate in the Great White Fleet
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with...
and its visit to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Soon after, he was transferred to the Naval Base Guam, where he served as assistant to the Commandant before from November 5, 1910 to January 21, 1911, he became acting governor of the island. As governor, he suspended the licenses of all midwives on the island because of an alarming rate of infection, requiring them all to be re-certified. After George Salisbury
George Salisbury
George Robert Salisbury was a United States Navy Commodore who served as the 15th Naval Governor of Guam. Though he originally served as an Engineering Duty Officer, he eventually stopped being a Restricted Line Officer, and retired from the Navy as a Commodore. As governor, he rolled back a number...
relieved him of the position, Freyer became his aide.
In 1913, he received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
and, in 1918, became assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy
Judge Advocate General of the Navy
The Judge Advocate General of the Navy is the highest ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on legal matters pertaining to the Navy...
. After agreeing to help Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
restructure its naval forces, the United States Navy ordered Freyer there to take command of the efforts; he became Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy
Peruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral...
the following year. In the position, he helped rebuild the naval tactics and education of the country, and stayed there for many years. During his stay, Freyer collected over 1,000 works of Peruvian art, now on display as the "Frank Barrow Freyer Collection" at the Denver Art Museum
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an art museum in Denver, Colorado located in Denver's Civic Center.It is known for its collection of American Indian art,and has a comprehensive collection numbering more than 68,000 works from across the world....
. He went on to command the USS Procyon
USS Procyon (AG-11)
USS Procyon was an in the United States Navy after World War I. She later served as a training vessel for the Merchant Marine Academy as Empire State. In 1940 the ship was returned to the United States Maritime Commission, was renamed American Pilot, and sailed under the American flag during...
and the USS Trenton
USS Trenton (CL-11)
USS Trenton was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Trenton, New Jersey....
before retiring.
Life
Freyer was originally from Marietta, GeorgiaMarietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in 1902 and received a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in 1913. He married and two children, a daughter Engracia and a son Frank Barrow Freyer II. His granddaughter, G. Diane Freyer, married William Schneider, Jr.
William Schneider, Jr.
William J. Schneider, Jr. is an American who has served in a number of prominent federal government positions.Schneider served as Under-Secretary of State in the Reagan administration, and later became a member of the Project for the New American Century...
, an Under-Secretary of State in the Reagan administration
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
. After retiring from the Navy, Freyer and his wife lived in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. He and his wife were avid art collectors, amassing a painting and furniture collection of over 1,000 works of Peruvian artwork. The "Frank Barrow Freyer Collection" has been displayed in numerous museums, including the Newark Museum
Newark Museum
The Newark Museum is the largest museum in New Jersey, USA. It holds fine collections of American art, decorative arts, contemporary art, and arts of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the ancient world...
, the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
, the Columbus Museum of Fine Arts
Columbus Museum of Art
The Columbus Museum of Art is an art museum located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Formed in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, it was the first art museum to register its charter with the state of Ohio.-Building:...
, and the Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo Museum of Art
The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio, United States. The museum was founded by Toledo glassmaker Edward Drummond Libbey in 1901, and moved to its present location, a Greek revival building designed by Edward B....
. Many of the collection's pieces currently reside in the Denver Art Museum
Denver Art Museum
The Denver Art Museum is an art museum in Denver, Colorado located in Denver's Civic Center.It is known for its collection of American Indian art,and has a comprehensive collection numbering more than 68,000 works from across the world....
, and a piece from the collection, Ignacio Chacón's Madonna and Child with Bird, was depicted on a United States postage stamp in 2006.
Naval career
Freyer was admitted to the United States Naval Academy in May 1898 from GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. While attending the Academy, he participated as a member of the Navy Midshipmen
Navy Midshipmen
The United States Naval Academy sponsors 30 varsity-sports teams and 12 club-sports teams . Both men's and women's teams are called Navy Midshipmen or "Mids"...
crew
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
team and as a fullback for the Navy Midshipmen football
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
team. He was also a member of the Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
fraternity. Soon after graduating, Freyer served as an ensign aboard the USS Olympia
USS Olympia (C-6)
USS Olympia is a protected cruiser which saw service in the United States Navy from her commissioning in 1895 until 1922. This vessel became famous as the flagship of Commodore George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The ship was decommissioned after...
in 1903. Freyer later served aboard the USS Missouri
USS Missouri (BB-11)
USS Missouri , a Maine-class battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 24th state....
during its visit to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as part of the Great White Fleet
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the United States Navy battle fleet that completed a circumnavigation of the globe from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909 by order of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. It consisted of 16 battleships divided into two squadrons, along with...
. In 1917, Freyer was stationed aboard the USS Oregon
USS Oregon (BB-3)
USS Oregon was a pre-Dreadnought of the United States Navy. Her construction was authorized on 30 June 1890, and the contract to build her was awarded to Union Iron Works of San Francisco, California on 19 November 1890. Her keel was laid exactly one year later...
. In 1918, he was transferred to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he became assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Navy
Judge Advocate General of the Navy
The Judge Advocate General of the Navy is the highest ranking uniformed lawyer in the United States Department of the Navy. The Judge Advocate General is the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations on legal matters pertaining to the Navy...
.
Freyer, now a commander, sailed for Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in August 1920 as head of a mission aiding in the reorganization of the Peruvian Navy
Peruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral...
. He was soon named Chief of Staff of the Peruvian Navy in January 1921, using the position to rebuild Peruvian naval education and command. For his service to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, the Congress of the Republic of Peru awarded him the nation's highest award, the Order of the Sun. After leaving Peru, he captained the USS Procyon
USS Procyon (AG-11)
USS Procyon was an in the United States Navy after World War I. She later served as a training vessel for the Merchant Marine Academy as Empire State. In 1940 the ship was returned to the United States Maritime Commission, was renamed American Pilot, and sailed under the American flag during...
. In 1929, Captain Freyer commanded the USS Trenton
USS Trenton (CL-11)
USS Trenton was an Omaha-class light cruiser of the United States Navy. She was the second Navy ship named for the city of Trenton, New Jersey....
.
Governorship
Freyer served as acting Naval Governor of Guam from November 5, 1910 to January 21, 1911. Prior to becoming governor, he briefly served in the position of principal technical assistant to the Commandant of the Naval Base Guam from March 1 to March 8, 1909. As governor, Freyer addressed the alarming spread of infection and tetanusTetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...
by suspending the licenses of all pattera, or midwives
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
, and requiring that they all pass an additional recertification exam. After leaving the governorship, Lieutenant Freyer became aide to Governor George Salisbury
George Salisbury
George Robert Salisbury was a United States Navy Commodore who served as the 15th Naval Governor of Guam. Though he originally served as an Engineering Duty Officer, he eventually stopped being a Restricted Line Officer, and retired from the Navy as a Commodore. As governor, he rolled back a number...
.