Born in Fredericksburg, Texas, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Sr., U.S. Navy (1885 – 1966) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1905. His almost two decades in submarines, punctuated by instruction in diesel engines, study at the Naval War College, and tours as executive officer of an oiler and a battleship, made him a leading authority on submarines.

In 1939 he was assigned as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the Navy named Nimitz Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and soon afterward Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas. In recognition of his superior leadership of naval forces during the victorious three-year Pacific campaign, in December 1944 Congress promoted him to fleet admiral.

As Chief of Naval Operations at the dawn of the Cold War, Nimitz directed the forward deployment of naval forces to the Mediterranean and the Far East, worked to adapt the naval services to the joint requirements of the National Security Act of 1947, and promoted adoption of jet aircraft and other advanced technologies. In recognition of his accomplishments, the Navy named USS Nimitz (CVAN-68), the first ship in a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, in his honor.

Articles by Chester W. Nimitz

Pearl Harbor Postscript

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz
December 1966
In the years following his departure from the office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz actively corresponded with his successors on matters of Navy interest ...
Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, U.S. Navy

An Open Letter to Junior Officers

By Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, U.S. Navy
February 1960
On 7 September 1956 I was invited to attend an official reception in San Francisco. En route to the reception I mentioned to my driver, Master Sergeant George E. Cozard ...

The Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps

By Captain C. W. Nimitz, U. S. Navy
June 1928
On March 4, 1925, with the approval of House Resolution 2688, the President set another strong prop under the structure of our national defense. Section 22 of that act authorizes ...

Military Value and Tactics of Modern Submarines

By Lieutenant C. W. Nimitz, U. S. Navy
December 1912
Value and Tactics of the Modern Submarine. The military value of any vessel designed for war purposes depends largely on the following factors: Communication , or the ability to transmit ...