Robert Coontz | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait,c. 1919 | |
| 16th Naval Governor of Guam | |
| In office January 30, 1912 – September 23, 1913 | |
| Preceded by | George Salisbury |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Walton Hinds |
| Chief of Naval Operations | |
| In office November 1, 1919 – July 21, 1923 | |
| Preceded by | William S. Benson |
| Succeeded by | Edward Walter Eberle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1864-06-11)June 11, 1864 Hannibal, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 26, 1935(1935-01-26) (aged 70) |
| Resting place | Mount Olivet Cemetery,Hannibal, Missouri, U.S. |
| Spouse | Augusta Cohen |
| Military service | |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1881–1928 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
Robert Edward Coontz (June 11, 1864 – January 26, 1935) was an American naval officer who sailed with the "Great White Fleet" and served as the secondChief of Naval Operations from 1919 to 1923.
Robert Edward Coontz, son of Benton Coontz, was born inHannibal, Missouri.[1] His parents were originally fromFlorida, Missouri, where they had been neighbors and schoolmates of a youngSam Clemens. Robert's father was involved in several businesses, including owning Hannibal's streetcar system. While a young boy, Robert left his name for posterity by carving it into the rock ofMark Twain Cave, then known as McDowell's Cave.[2]
After completing his primary education in Hannibal public schools, Coontz attended Ingleside College inPalmyra, Missouri, from 1878 to 1879, and Hannibal College (present dayHannibal-LaGrange University) from 1879 to 1880.[3] Coontz asked family friend CongressmanWilliam H. Hatch for an appointment to theUnited States Naval Academy. Several other young men from the congressional district also desired the appointment, so a competitive exam was arranged, which Coontz won.
Coontz graduated from the Naval Academy in 1885, and served at theNavy Department and in several ships over the next decade, among them vessels stationed inAlaskan waters and theGreat Lakes. He returned to the Navy Department late in 1894, to work on updating officer records, then was assigned to thecruiserUSS Philadelphia, theUnited States Coast and Geodetic Survey, and the cruiserUSS Charleston.
During theSpanish–American WarCharleston and he seized control ofGuam, then joined AdmiralGeorge Dewey's forces in the Philippines. He would remain in thePacific, seeing action in thePhilippine–American War.[3] Following further duty afloat and ashore, Coontz, then alieutenant commander, was executive officer of thebattleshipUSS Nebraska during the 1907–1909 world cruise of the "Great White Fleet". In 1899, Coontz became a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Society of theMilitary Order of Foreign Wars.
After promotion tocommander in 1909, Coontz wasCommandant of Midshipmen at the Naval Academy. On January 30, 1912, Coontz became theGovernor of Guam, until September 23, 1913.[4] AsCaptain, Coontz served as Commanding Officer of the battleshipUSS Georgia, followed by duty as Commandant of thePuget Sound Navy Yard and the 13th Naval District. He held those positions until late in 1918. Following a brief period as actingChief of Naval Operations,Rear Admiral Coontz assumed command of a battleship division in theAtlantic.
Coontz had just been assigned to thePacific Fleet in September 1919, when he was selected to become Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), succeeding AdmiralWilliam S. Benson. Reportedly, his term as CNO was marked by unceasing pressure for economy,Congressional unhappiness over base closings, diplomatic efforts to achieve naval limitations, internal Navy Department conflicts over organization and the best ways to manage new technologies, plus the naval fallout of theTeapot Dome scandal. While dealing with these problems, Admiral Coontz established a unifiedUnited States Fleet and strengthened the CNO's position within the Navy Department. Relieved as CNO in August 1923, by AdmiralEdward W. Eberle, Coontz was able to return to sea as Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet.
In June 1925, as Admiral, the Coontz led U.S. fleet, consisting of 57 vessels of United States Navy carrying about 25,000 officers and crew, departed the port of San Francisco, California. He led the fleet on a trans-Pacific visit to New Zealand and Australia, byway of Hawaii and Pago Page, American Samoa. This was the first massed deployment of American battleships since the "Great White Fleet" cruise, nearly two decades earlier, and a valuable demonstration of their strategic reach. The last U.S. fleet departed Australia on August 6, 1925. The fleet played a significant role in strengthening Australia-American relations during the interwar years in the lead up to the signing of the formal ANZAS Alliance in 1941.[5][6]
Coontz is also acknowledged for his key role in the promotion of U.S. naval aviation. He lobbied for converting theUSS Lexington andUSS Saratoga fromLexington-class battlecruisers toLexington-class aircraft carriers following theWashington Naval Treaty, ships that would prove vital for training in the inter-war years and as fighting ships during World War II.[7] From October 1925, until his retirement in June 1928, he served as Commandant of the Fifth Naval District, reverting to the rank of rear admiral.
After retiring, Coontz wrote a memoir chronicling his early life growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, and his navy career, titledFrom the Mississippi to the Sea.[2] Coontz was briefly recalled to active duty in 1930, to investigate railroads in Alaska. A second book,True Anecdotes of an Admiral, was published in 1934.[8] Two years later in 1932, Coontz would represent Alaska at theDemocratic National Convention. It was also in 1932, that he became Commander-in-Chief of theVeterans of Foreign Wars.[9] In 1934, Coontz suffered a series of heart attacks. On January 26, 1935, Coontz died at the Puget Sound Naval Hospital inBremerton, Washington.[6][10] He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Hannibal, Missouri.
On October 31, 1890, inSitka, Alaska, Coontz marriedAugusta Cohen, daughter of Abraham Cohen. They had three children, Benton, Kenneth, and Bertha.[10][11]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of Naval Operations 1919–1923 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander in Chief,United States Fleet 1923–1925 | Succeeded by |
| Commissioner(1898–1899) |  | |
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| Naval(1899–1941) | ||
| Military(1944–1949) | ||
| Civilian(1949–1969) | ||
| Elected(since 1969) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
