Samuel Gravely
Encyclopedia
Samuel Lee Gravely, Jr. (June 4, 1922 – October 22, 2004) was an African-American
Navy
pioneer — the first African American in the U.S. Navy to be commissioned an officer, the first to serve aboard a fighting ship as an officer, the first to command a Navy ship, the first fleet commander, and the first to become a flag officer
, retiring as a Vice Admiral
.
. Gravely spent two years at Virginia Union University
, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity. Following his time in college, he enlisted in the Naval Reserves on September 15, 1942 and was trained as a Fireman Apprentice.
In 1943, Gravely was told about the V-12 Navy College Training Program
by a white officer. It was a new program designed to recruit and train enlisted seamen with partial or completed four-year college degrees to become officers. He sat for the application exam in April, scored very well, and was the first black candidate to be accepted. As part of this training, he attended the University of California
in Los Angeles
, Pre-Midshipman
School in New Jersey
, and U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School
at Columbia University
.
In March 1944, the "Golden Thirteen
" became the first African-American men to be commissioned from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
. On December 14, 1944, Gravely successfully completed midshipman training as a commissioned officer, thereby becoming the first African-American to graduate from the V-12 program
.
As a newly commissioned Ensign
, his first assignment was to Camp Robert Smalls
, a part of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station set aside for training African-American enlisted men, as the Assistant Battalion
Commander
for new recruits. Afterwards, he began his seagoing career aboard the USS PC-1264
, a submarine chaser
that was one of only two World War II
ships with a largely African-American crew. He became the first black officer on the ship, as the rest of the command staff were white.
In April 1946, he was released from active duty, remaining in the Naval Reserve. He returned to his hometown of Richmond to complete his bachelor's degree
in History.
As part of the Navy's response to President
Harry S. Truman
's Executive Order to desegregate
the Armed Services
, Gravely and other African-American officers were recalled to active duty in 1949. His initial assignment was as a Navy Recruiter, recruiting African Americans in the Washington, D.C.
area, with the understanding that it was only for a year. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 forced the Navy to retain any experienced officers currently in service, regardless of race.
Gravely went from recruiting to building a Navy career that lasted 38 years and included many distinguished accomplishments.
He became the first African American to command a United States Navy warship
(USS Theodore E. Chandler
), the first African American to command an American
warship under combat conditions (USS Taussig
), the first African American to command a major naval warship (USS Jouett
- subsequently CG-29), the first African-American admiral, the first African American to rise to the rank of Vice Admiral
, and the first African American to command a U.S. Fleet
(Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet). He was also among the first African Americans to attend the Naval War College
in 1962.
Gravely was assigned tours of duty
aboard PC-1264
, USS Iowa
, USS Toledo
and USS Seminole
. He served as Executive Officer
and Commanding Officer
of the Theodore E. Chandler. Additionally, he was the Commanding Officer of the USS Falgout
, Taussig, and Jouett. From 1971 to 1973 he served a dual role as the Director of Naval Communications
(on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations) and commander of the Naval Telecommunications Command. His last tour of duty before his retirement in August 1980, was as Director of the Defense Communications Agency in Washington, overseeing the communications
network
linking Washington with American and allied
bases
worldwide.
Gravely was also highly decorated
, with decorations including the Legion of Merit
, Bronze Star
, Meritorious Service Medal
and Navy Commendation Medal.
After suffering a stroke, Gravely died at the National Naval Medical Center
in Bethesda, Maryland
, on October 22, 2004. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Gravely had three adopted children and one biological child, and was survived by his wife, Alma, son William F. Best, son Robert Micheal, David Edward, and daughter Tracey Ernestine.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present 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...
pioneer — the first African American in the U.S. Navy to be commissioned an officer, the first to serve aboard a fighting ship as an officer, the first to command a Navy ship, the first fleet commander, and the first to become a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, retiring as a Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
.
Biography
Samuel Gravely was born on June 4, 1922 in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. Gravely spent two years at Virginia Union University
Virginia Union University
Virginia Union University is a historically black university located in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It took its present name in 1899 upon the merger of two older schools, Richmond Theological Institute and Wayland Seminary, each founded after the end of American Civil War by the American...
, where he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
fraternity. Following his time in college, he enlisted in the Naval Reserves on September 15, 1942 and was trained as a Fireman Apprentice.
In 1943, Gravely was told about the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
by a white officer. It was a new program designed to recruit and train enlisted seamen with partial or completed four-year college degrees to become officers. He sat for the application exam in April, scored very well, and was the first black candidate to be accepted. As part of this training, he attended the University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Pre-Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
School in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School
U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School
The United States Navy Reserve Midshipmen's School, known as the Navy College Training Program, V-7, was announced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 26, 1940, to recruit 36,000 naval reserve officers to command the vasty expanding fleet in preparation for the war effort...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
In March 1944, the "Golden Thirteen
Golden Thirteen
The Golden Thirteen were the thirteen African American enlisted men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy.-History:...
" became the first African-American men to be commissioned from the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
. On December 14, 1944, Gravely successfully completed midshipman training as a commissioned officer, thereby becoming the first African-American to graduate from the V-12 program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
.
As a newly commissioned Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, his first assignment was to Camp Robert Smalls
Camp Robert Smalls
Camp Robert Smalls was a United States Naval training facility, created pursuant to an order signed April 21, 1942 by Frank Knox, then Secretary of the Navy, for the purpose of training Negro seamen at a time when the USN was still segregated by race....
, a part of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station set aside for training African-American enlisted men, as the Assistant Battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
for new recruits. Afterwards, he began his seagoing career aboard the USS PC-1264
USS PC-1264
USS PC-1264 was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was one of only two U.S. Navy ships to have a predominately African-American enlisted complement during the war, the other being the ....
, a submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
that was one of only two 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...
ships with a largely African-American crew. He became the first black officer on the ship, as the rest of the command staff were white.
In April 1946, he was released from active duty, remaining in the Naval Reserve. He returned to his hometown of Richmond to complete his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in History.
As part of the Navy's response to 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 S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
's Executive Order to desegregate
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
the Armed Services
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...
, Gravely and other African-American officers were recalled to active duty in 1949. His initial assignment was as a Navy Recruiter, recruiting African Americans in the 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....
area, with the understanding that it was only for a year. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 forced the Navy to retain any experienced officers currently in service, regardless of race.
Gravely went from recruiting to building a Navy career that lasted 38 years and included many distinguished accomplishments.
He became the first African American to command a United States Navy warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
(USS Theodore E. Chandler
USS Theodore E. Chandler (DD-717)
USS Theodore E. Chandler was a Gearing-class destroyer in the United States Navy during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. She was named for Theodore E. Chandler....
), the first African American to command an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
warship under combat conditions (USS Taussig
USS Taussig (DD-746)
USS Taussig , an , was named for Edward D. Taussig, a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy whose career spanned over 50 years. The ship was laid down on 30 August 1943 at Staten Island, New York, by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; launched on 25 January 1944; sponsored by Miss...
), the first African American to command a major naval warship (USS Jouett
USS Jouett (DLG-29)
The USS Jouett was a Belknap class cruiser laid down 25 September 1962 by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington; launched 30 June 1964; sponsored by Mrs. S. J. Ervin, Jr., wife of the Senator from North Carolina; and commissioned 3 December 1966, Captain Robert S...
- subsequently CG-29), the first African-American admiral, the first African American to rise to the rank of Vice Admiral
Vice admiral (United States)
In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, and the United States Maritime Service, vice admiral is a three-star flag officer, with the pay grade of...
, and the first African American to command a U.S. Fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
(Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet). He was also among the first African Americans to attend the Naval War College
Naval War College
The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...
in 1962.
Gravely was assigned tours of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
aboard PC-1264
USS PC-1264
USS PC-1264 was a built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was one of only two U.S. Navy ships to have a predominately African-American enlisted complement during the war, the other being the ....
, USS Iowa
USS Iowa (BB-61)
USS Iowa was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 29th state...
, USS Toledo
USS Toledo (CA-133)
USS Toledo was a Baltimore-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy active during the Korean War.Toledo was laid down on 13 September 1943 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, launched on 6 May 1945, sponsored by Mrs Edward J. Moan, and commissioned at the...
and USS Seminole
USS Seminole (AKA-104)
USS Seminole was a of the United States Navy named after counties in Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Seminole was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious warfare and operations...
. He served 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:...
and Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Theodore E. Chandler. Additionally, he was the Commanding Officer of the USS Falgout
USS Falgout (DE-324)
USS Falgout was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Atlantic Ocean and provided destroyer escort protection against submarine and air attack for Navy vessels and convoys. Post-war, she was borrowed by the U.S...
, Taussig, and Jouett. From 1971 to 1973 he served a dual role as the Director of Naval Communications
Director of Naval Communications
Director of Naval Communications was a post on the staff of the United States Navy's Chief of Naval Operations responsible for organizing, administering and operating the Naval Communications Service. In Navy parlance, this was Op-20. Created in 1916, the position replaced that of the...
(on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations) and commander of the Naval Telecommunications Command. His last tour of duty before his retirement in August 1980, was as Director of the Defense Communications Agency in Washington, overseeing the communications
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
network
Telecommunications network
A telecommunications network is a collection of terminals, links and nodes which connect together to enable telecommunication between users of the terminals. Networks may use circuit switching or message switching. Each terminal in the network must have a unique address so messages or connections...
linking Washington with American and allied
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
bases
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
worldwide.
Gravely was also highly decorated
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
, with decorations including the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
, Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
, Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (United States)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a military decoration presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service to the United States subsequent to January 16, 1969...
and Navy Commendation Medal.
After suffering a stroke, Gravely died at the National Naval Medical Center
National Naval Medical Center
The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, USA — commonly known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital — was for decades the flagship of the United States Navy's system of medical centers. A federal institution, it conducted medical and dental research as well as providing health care for...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, on October 22, 2004. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
Gravely had three adopted children and one biological child, and was survived by his wife, Alma, son William F. Best, son Robert Micheal, David Edward, and daughter Tracey Ernestine.
Posthumous honors
- USS Gravely (DDG-107)USS Gravely (DDG-107)USS Gravely is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named after Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.Gravely is the 57th destroyer in her class...
has been named in his honor. - A street on the east side of Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
is named in his honor. - An elementary school, Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Elementary School, in Haymarket, VirginiaHaymarket, VirginiaHaymarket is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 879 at the 2000 census, but the 2009 is 1,252. Haymarket is home to the Haymarket Senators of the Valley Baseball League...
is named in his honor.
See also
- Golden ThirteenGolden ThirteenThe Golden Thirteen were the thirteen African American enlisted men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy.-History:...
- List of African-American firsts
- Military history of African AmericansMilitary history of African AmericansThe military history of African Americans spans from the arrival of the first black slaves during the colonial history of the United States to the present day...
External links
- Samuel Gravely's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project