Hamilton, Thomas J., Rear Adm., USN (Ret.)

Hamilton, Thomas J., Rear Adm., USN (Ret.)

(1905–1994)

This memoir concentrates on the two major aspects of Admiral Hamilton's career – in athletics and in naval aviation. He played for the Naval Academy's national championship football team in 1926 and was later coach and athletic director for the Academy. After retirement he was athletic director for the University of Pittsburgh and commissioner of the Pacific Eight Conference. As an aviator, he flew several types of aircraft: torpedo, scout, patrol, and transport. During World War II, he was air officer and executive officer of the famous carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) and then commanded the escort carrier USS Savo Island (CVE-78) at war's end. At the beginning of the war, he combined his two interests while heading the Navy's pre-flight training program, which placed heavy emphasis on athletics.

About this Volume

Based on two interviews conducted by Etta-Belle Kitchen in April 1978. The volume contains 124 pages of interview transcript plus an index and appendices. The transcript is copyright 1983 by the U.S. Naval Institute; the interviewee has placed no restrictions on its use.