Robert Lees Phythian
Commodore Robert Lees Phythian (21 July, 1835 – 20 January, 1917) served in the United States Navy.
Life & Career
Phythian was born in Pennsylvania but was appointed to the Naval Academy from Kentucky, graduating with the Class of 1856.
During the Civil War, he advanced in rank to Lieutenant in 1861 and to Lieutenant Commander on 16 July, 1862. He saw duty at the Academy, where he commanded the school ship Santee, and on blockade duty, including service as Executive Officer on ironclad New Ironsides.[1][2][3]
Phythian was promoted to the rank of Commander on 13 July, 1870. That same year, he was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Pacific Squadron. From 1875 to 1878 he commanded the school ship St. Mary's before being promoted to the rank of Captain on 15 November, 1881.[4][5][6]
In the 1880's Phythian served as Ordnance and Navigation officer at the Boston Navy Yard before assuming command of screw frigate Trenton from 1883 to 1886. This proved to be his last seagoing service, as he next served as Superintendent of the Naval Observatory, with two tours of duty in this position split by four years as Superintendent of the Naval Academy. Near the end of his tour at the Academy, Phythian was promoted to the rank of Commodore on 7 September, 1894.[7][8]
Phythian retired due to age on 29 July, 1897, but was recalled during the Spanish-American War for one more tour in charge of the Naval Observatory. Returned to inactive duty, he resided in Annapolis, Maryland, where he died in early 1917.[9][10][11]
See Also
Bibliography
Service Records
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by George Brown |
Ordnance Officer, Navy Yard, Boston 1882 – 1883[12] |
Succeeded by Samuel W. Very |
| Preceded by Francis M. Ramsay |
Captain of U.S.S. Trenton 18 Sep, 1883[13] – 17 Sep, 1886[14] |
Succeeded by Norman N. Farquhar |
| Preceded by John Rodgers |
Superintendent, Naval Observatory 1886[15] – c. mid 1890 |
Succeeded by Robert L. Phythian |
| Preceded by William T. Sampson |
Superintendent of the Naval Academy 13 Jun, 1890 – 15 Nov, 1894 |
Succeeded by Philip H. Cooper |
| Preceded by Robert L. Phythian |
Superintendent, Naval Observatory c. late 1894 – Jul, 1897[16] |
Succeeded by Charles H. Davis, Jr. |
Footnotes
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1863. pp. 3031, 105.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. 49.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1865. p. 237.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1875. p, 16-17.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. p. 49.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1882. pp. 14-15.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. p. 49.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1895. p. 4.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1898. pp. 68-69, 108.
- ↑ List and Station, July 1898. pp. 43, 77.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1918. p. 465.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1883. p. 152.
- ↑ Records of Living Officers (6th ed). p. 49.
- ↑ Records of Living Officers (6th ed). p. 49.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. p. 49.
- ↑ Hamersly. Living Officers 1898. p. 49.
