Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive

Dudley Knox Library Publications Library Publications

1990-08 Dudley Wright Knox

Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/51932 - ~ ... Dudley Wright I

Dudley Wright Knox was born on 21 June U.S.S. Massachusetts. He then served on 1877, in Fort Walla Walla, then Washington U.S.S. Maple during the Spanish-American War on Territory, to Thomas Taylor Knox, an army officer, blockade duty in Cuban Waters. During the and Cornelia Manigult Grayson Knox. The family Philippine Insurrection he served on board the moved to the East Coast where young Knox gunboat U.S.S. Albany and during the Chinese attended high school in Washington D.C.. He Boxer Rebellion, the gunboat U.S.S. Iris. He then entered the U.S. Naval Academy on appointment commanded three of the Navy's first : from the Ninth District of Tennessee on 6 USS Shubrick, U.S.S. Wilkes, and U.S.S. Decatur September 1892 and graduated 5 June 1896. before commanding the First Torpedo Flotilla. Following two years at sea, then required before During the cruise of the "Great White Fleet" sent commissioning, he was commissioned as an Ensign around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt, on 6 May 1898. he was ordnance officer of the US.S. Nebraska After graduation Knox was assigned to the (BB-14). About this time Knox met Lily Hazard Upon returning to the United States in March McCalla the daughter of Rear Admiral Bowman H. 1919 Knox began a year on the faculty of the McCalla. The couple were married on 18 May Naval War College. There he would strongly 1908. In 1913, having attained the rank of campaign for his belief that naval officers should Lieutenant Commander, Knox graduated from the be given periods of education at recurring times in Naval War College at Newport, RI. their career, each period building on the previous In the years before World War I, Knox served one. The Knox-Pye-King Board submitted a report as Fleet Ordnance Officer in both the Atlantic and to the Navy Department detailing their progressive Pacific, was assigned to the Office of Naval education vision. Although the report was Intelligence, and commanded the Guantanamo Bay approved, prevailing negative attitudes about Naval Station. In November 1917, he joined the additional education for officers caused a delay in staff of Admiral Sims, Commander of all American its implementation. Naval Forces in European Waters. He was first After his assignment to the War College, Knox assigned to the planning section and then to the went on to successively command USS history section. (ACR-3) and U.S.S. Charleston (C-22) before Knox earned the Navy Cross for "distinguished resuming duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval service," was awarded the Companion of the British Operations. He was recognized as an expert on U.S. order of St. Michael and St. George and the Italian Naval matters and was often turned to for advice. order of the Cross of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus. Admiral Hilary P. Jones, the American Naval He was promoted to 1February1918. Advisor to the Naval Limitations conference often wrote to Knox concerning their progress. I

While with the Navy, Knox contributed a naval officers. He eagerly edited chapters of books written legacy that honored both the Nation and the sent to him for comments, critiques, and Navy. A master of content and sty le, his clear contributions. Knox also dedicated much of his writings include The Eclipse of the American Sea time and expertise in his position as the Secretary Power (1922); The Naval Genius of George of the Naval Historical Foundation from 1926- Washington ( 1936); and A History of the United 1946. States Navy (1936), the latter recognized as "the Advanced to , 2November1945, he best one-volume history of the United States Navy was awarded the Legion of Merit for "exceptionally in existence" according to, Dr. James Baxter. Knox meritorious conduct" while directing the correlation wrote many journal articles on subjects as varied as and preservation of accurate records of the U.S. leadership in the Navy, national strategy, and the Naval Operations in World War II, thus protecting professional value of naval history. He also served this vital information for posterity. Commodore as the Naval editor for the Army and Navy J oumal Knox was relieved of all active duty 26 June 1946. and Naval Correspondent for the Baltimore Sun and After retirement he became the Vice President the New York Herald Tribune. then Chairman of the executive committee of the Despite the time devoted to his naval duties and Naval Historical Foundation a position he held until his own speaking and writing, he also managed to 1959. Commodore Knox died on 11June1960 in find time to assist others in similar activities. He Bethesda, Maryland just a few days shy of his 83rd prepared many speeches and articles for fellow birthday. Dudley W. I

Although transferred to the Retired List of the staff, he began the daunting task of establishing a Navy, 20 October 1921, Dudley Knox's career in modem archival system. the Navy was just beginning. He continued active In 1927, The Historical Section, created to duty simultaneously serving as Officer in Charge of handle World War I records, and the Office Naval three departments: The Office ofNaval Records and Records and Library whose mission was: the Library, the Historical Section, and Curator for the gathering and archiving of naval records and Navy. According to the Naval Historical Center, documents, editing and publishing naval records, "Over the next twenty-five years Knox would and providing the government and public with become the driving force behind the Navy's library services, merged thus creating an office with historical program earning for the office a national extensive amounts of information about naval and international reputation in the field of naval activities at its disposal. archives and history." At President Roosevelt's suggestion, Knox began When Knox assumed command, he found an to compile and publish records, in series, about office with vast collections of records in an early naval activities. Knox was able to publish unorganized and almost chaotic state. With a tiny seven volumes pertaining to the Quasi War with and seven volumes relating to the war with Roosevelt to prepare the 15 volume History ofthe the Barbary Powers. World War II put an end to United States Naval Operations in World War II, planned series publications about the American relied on many of these records. Revolution, the Warof1812, the Mexican War, and Although greatly expanded under Knox to World War I. handle increased archiving, library work, and to Early in World War II the mission of writing provide special historical research, the Office of the history of the War as it happened was added by Naval Records and Library was very small and the the president. Roosevelt wanted to ensure that work of the office was greatly hampered during the lessons learned from the war would not be lost. war by inadequate office space and frequent moves. Knox complied by directing his attention to The enormity of the task of writing the history of a collecting the many documents generated by naval war while it happened required a new approach. To operations during the war. To organize the coordinate the history writing program, the Office documents, Knox was able to bring on board of Naval History was established 12 July 1944 and professional historians who were serving in the Commodore Knox was appointed to yet another naval reserves. important additional duty as its Deputy Director. Realizing that history is more then just In his position as the Curator for the Navy documents, Knox developed an oral history Department, Knox laid the ground work for a program. Participants in significant Atlantic and display of our nations sea heritage. In 1961, as Pacific operations and battles were interviewed and Knox envisioned, Chief of Naval Operations their stories were recorded for posterity. Samuel Admiral Arleigh Burke established the U.S. Naval Eliot Morison, a Pulitzer Prize winning history History Display Center, now in the Navy Museum, professor from Harvard commissioned by President in Washington, D. C.