1 of 14 MS 11 SQUIER, GEORGE OWEN, MAJOR GENERAL USA
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 of 14 MS 11 SQUIER, GEORGE OWEN, MAJOR GENERAL USA (RETIRED) 1865-1934 Linear ft.: 9.6 Approx. no. pgs.: 14,000 Papers, 1883-1961 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH George Owen Squier was born on 21 March 1865 in Dryden, Michigan. He was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and entered that institution in July 1883, graduating 12 June 1887. His first military assignment was to serve in garrison at Fort McHenry, Maryland, with the 3rd Artillery, 30 September 1887 to 9 March 1893. During his first assignment he also took a course of instruction at Johns Hopkins University in electrical engineering which led to his receiving a Ph.D. from that institution in 1893, writing and completing thesis requirements relative to the "Chemical Effects Due to Magnetization." From March 1893 to 12 April 1893 he was on duty at Fort Barranacas, Florida. Squier was transferred to Fort McPherson, Georgia, 13 April 1893 and remained until 10 October 1893. During this time period he was promoted to 1st lieutenant of artillery, 30 June 1893. He was reassigned to Fort McHenry, Maryland, 12 October 1893 to 6 June 1894. Squier served as an instructor in the Department of Electricity and Mines, at the Artillery School, Fort Monroe, Virginia, from 1 September 1894 to 26 April 1898. He was appointed as Signal Officer, Department of the East, at Governor's Island, New York, 27 April 1898 to 25 June 1898, and was promoted to the rank of captain, 20 May 1898. Two months later, 18 July 1898, Squier was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Chief Signal Officer, a position he held until October 1898. He was transferred to Washington, D.C., for three months in the office of the Chief Signal Officer. He was honorably discharged from volunteer service, 7 December 1898. Squier entered the Signal Corps as a 1st lieutenant, 23 February 1899 and promoted to captain, 17 April 1899. He took leave in Europe to study and obtain additional information relative to his research studies from 17 May 1899 to 11 August 1899. After returning from leave, he was again assigned to the office of the Chief Signal Officer, 12 August 1899 to 13 August 1900. On 15 August 1900, Squier took command of the cableship Burnside, laying the Trans- Pacific communication cable to the Philippines, to 26 September 1902. At Manila, he was 2 of 14 Superintendent of Telegraph Lines for the Signal Corps, United States Army, 27 September 1902 to 29 May 1903. On 2 March 1903, he was promoted to the rank of major. From 11 July 1903 to 31 July 1905, Squier was Signal Officer in San Francisco, California. He was transferred to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as Assistant Commandant of the Army Signal School, 5 August 1905 to 8 March 1911. His next duty was Chief Signal Officer, Maneuver Division, San Antonio, Texas, 11 March 1911 to 13 July 1911. From Texas, Squier's next duty assignment was in Washington, D.C., in the office of the Chief Signal Officer, 17 July 1911 to 19 May 1912. He was appointed Military Attache, London, England, 1 June 1912 to 6 May 1916. On 17 March 1913, he was promoted again, to lieutenant colonel in the Signal Corps. Squier's next assignment was in Washington, D.C., in charge of Aviation Section, Signal Corps, 18 May 1916 to 13 February 1917. Squier was promoted to the rank of brigadier general, Chief Signal Officer, 14 February 1917 and then to the rank of major general 6 October 1917 with the same duty assignment, holding this position until 31 December 1923, the date of his retirement, which was at his request after over forty years of military service. Following his retirement, Gen. Squier continued to work in the communication field of engineering specializing in telegraphy and telephony. Squier never married. He shared most of his time among three geographical areas—Washington, D.C., Dryden, Michigan, and Saint Petersburg, Florida, after he retired from the Signal Corps. His awards and decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal, Knight Commander, Saint Michael, and Saint George, Great Britain; Commander, Order of the Crown, Italy; Commander, Legion of' Honor, France; Elliot Cresson gold medal; Franklin medal, Philippine Insurrection. Squier died on 24 March 1934 at George Washington Hospital, Washington, D.C. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE This collection relates to Squier's military career, from his entering the United States Military Academy in 1883 to his retiring from the U.S. Army Signal Corps as its commanding general in 1923. The most significant part of the material deals with Squier's contribution to communication engineering, telegraphy and telephony and his role in early military aviation. The balance of the material contains letters written to famous scientists who were also working in communication development, such as Bell, Ames, Walton, Mitchell and Millikan. This collection consists of twelve boxes and seven packages of manuscript material arranged in fifteen series: Series 1) Correspondence, Official and Personal, 1893-1898, 1911-1945; Series 2) Speeches and Addresses, 1924-1934; Series 3) Legal Documents, 1876-1956; Series 4) Invitations, 1916-1937; Series 5) Notebooks by Squier, 1885-1934; Series 6) Publications by Squier, 1893-1933; Series 7) Publications, 1892-1935; Series 8) Periodicals, 1895-1953; Series 9) Paintings, undated; Series 10) Photographs, 1883-1936; Series 11) Documents, 1833, 1837, 1912-1941; Series 12) Scrapbooks, 1918-1933; Series 13) News Clippings, 1899-1958; Series 14) Souvenirs, undated; Series 15) Tape Recordings, 1961. 3 of 14 SERIES ONE: CORRESPONDENCE, OFFICIAL AND PERSONAL, 1893-1898, 1911- 1945, consists of five hard bound books which contain official records of Squier's special orders plus copies of both his military orders and official letters to and by Squier. Also included are personal letters relative to both his duties in the service and to his private interests. SERIES TWO: SPEECHES AND ADDRESSES, 1924-1934, is a folder of copies of speech material most of which relates to the application of communication engineering to the military. SERIES THREE: LEGAL DOCUMENTS, 1876-1956, is an assortment of Squier's legal papers dealing with patents for electrical circuits, contracts, wills, and letters relative to the same. SERIES FOUR: INVITATIONS, 1916-1937, is a folder of a collection of invitations to social events, dinners, dances, parties, discussions, and visits as given to and for Squier. SERIES FIVE: NOTEBOOKS BY SQUIER, 1885-1934, is a collection of ten notebooks which relate to his studies at the U.S. Military Academy, his research while on duty with the Signal Corps, records of his personal activities, notes relative to his assignment in laying the Trans•Pacific cable and mathematical calculations relative to his work in engineering communications. SERIES SIX: PUBLICATIONS BY SQUIER, 1893-1933, is a collection of twenty articles written by Squier. All of these publications are concerned with the science of communications and most of them are to show the application of Squier's scientific knowledge to the military units and for special use by the artillery and aeronautics. The publications are calendared in the Arrangement and Description section of this Manuscript Record. SERIES SEVEN: PUBLICATIONS, 1892-1935, consists of three folders which contain published information relative to the scientific discipline which Squier was researching and about which he wrote. The second folder is a collection of issues of Science Abstracts, which date between 1914 and 1932 and have scientific information relative to telegraphy. Other items included in this series are writings about Squier and his accomplishments in the science of communication. The publications are calendared in the Arrangement and Description section of this Manuscript Record. SERIES EIGHT: PERIODICALS, 1895-1953, is a collection of twenty-five magazines and periodicals some of which pertain to Squier's work in aeronautics and communications. The periodicals are calendared within the Arrangement and Description section of this Manuscript Record. SERIES NINE: PAINTINGS, UNDATED, consists of an album which contains 4” x 6” Chinese oil paintings on rice paper. Also included in the album are Chinese postage stamps which depict the type aircraft which were being flown during World War I. 4 of 14 SERIES TEN: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1883-1936, consists of two packages and seven folders of photographs. Three photo albums contain both military and private-life photographs and records of Squier's accomplishments and interests from the time he entered the U.S. Military Academy as a cadet to his retirement years. The first album contains photographs of Squier's property and friends at Dryden, Michigan, Squier as a cadet in 1883, his place of duty assignment, San Antonio, Texas, as well as gatherings of family and friends following his retirement. The second album relates to his cadet days of U.S. Military Academy and the military honors given him during and following his duty with the Signal Corps. The third album is a series of photographs of his duty stations while in the Signal Corps. This book contains both military and private-life photographs. Also included is a signed photograph of Thomas Edison, 1914. The majority of the photographs are uncaptioned. SERIES ELEVEN: DOCUMENTS, 1883, 1837, 1912-1941, consists of two packages of framed mounted documents signed by persons such as John J. Pershing, Herbert Hoover, Calvin Coolidge as well as documents to certify land registration in 1833 and 1837, a Gold Medal, Franklin Institute Award to Squier, 1912, and Squier's certificate of promotion to major general, 1916. SERIES TWELVE: SCRAPBOOKS, 1918-1933, is a package of 4 scrapbooks which contain photographs, letters, calling cards, poems and records of both Squier and his friends which are pertinent to his military and private life.