Ralph Earle (American naval officer)

For other people with the same name, see Ralph Earle (disambiguation).
Ralph Earle
Earle in 1919
Born(1874-05-03)May 3, 1874
Worcester, Massachusetts
DiedFebruary 13, 1939(1939-02-13) (aged 64)
Worcester, Massachusetts
Place of burial
Quaker Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
BranchUnited States Navy
Years of service1896–1927
RankRear Admiral
UnitChief of the Bureau of Ordnance
Battles / warsSpanish–American War
World War I
AwardsCommendations from the President
RelationsStephen C. Earle (Father)

Ralph Earle (May 3, 1874 – February 13, 1939) was an American Navy officer and university president. He served the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War and World War I. He was the Chief, Bureau of Ordnance (BUORD) and retired as a rear admiral in 1927.[1] He was also president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 1925 to 1939.[2]

Biography

Earle was born on May 3, 1874, in Worcester, Massachusetts.[1] He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1896.

He served at sea in several ships, among them USS Massachusetts, Essex, and Hornet.

While on board USS Missouri, he won commendations from the President and Secretary of the Navy for his conduct at the time of a disastrous turret explosion.

He commanded USS Dolphin during the Tampico Affair,[3] and at the U.S. occupation of Veracruz, Mexico, and later commanded Connecticut.

Ashore, Earle had duty at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Proving Ground. An expert on guns and explosives, he was made Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance shortly before the United States entered World War I.

Under his administration the North Sea mine barrage was conceived and executed using a new type of mine, and the plan of mounting naval 14-inch guns on railway cars for use as long-range artillery on the Western Front, was evolved and carried out.

After his retirement in 1925, Rear Admiral Earle served as president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute until his death.[4][5] Earle implemented a five-year plan which brought the students a swimming pool and a new hall named after R. Sanford Riley among other needed campus improvements. He was elected to the American Antiquarian Society in 1927[6] and served as president of the Worcester Economic Club in 1931.[7]

He died of a stroke on February 13, 1939, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is buried in the Quaker Cemetery, Leicester, Massachusetts.[1]

The grave of Ralph Earle at the Quaker Cemetery in Leicester, MA

Honored in ship naming

The USS Earle, launched December 10, 1941, by Boston Navy Yard, was named in his honor. The launch was sponsored by Mrs. John F. Hines, Jr., daughter of Rear Admiral Earle.

The Naval Weapons Station Earle (New Jersey) was also named (in 1943) to honor the admiral because of his strong association with ordnance projects.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Stroke Is Fatal To Admiral Earle. Head of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Collapses While Addressing Students. Ordnance Chief In War. He Planned the North Sea Mine Field and Originated 14-inch Nasal Rail Batteries". The New York Times. Associated Press. February 14, 1939.
  2. ^ "College Presidents & Chancellors". Tau Beta Pi. Archived from the original on 2017-07-28. Retrieved 2025-03-04 – via web.archive.org.
  3. ^ Quirk, Robert (1962). An Affair of Honor: Woodrow Wilson and the Occupation of Veracruz. University of Kentucky Press. pp. 15. ISBN 9780393003901. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  4. ^ "Admiral Earle May Head School". The New York Times. September 26, 1924.
  5. ^ "Earle Heads W.P.I. New President Emphasizes the Problem of Living". The New York Times. October 23, 1925.
  6. ^ "Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society" (PDF). 114 (2). American Antiquarian Society. October 2004. Retrieved 2025-06-24. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Presidents - Worcester Economic Club | Worcester Economic Club". Archived from the original on 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  8. ^ "Earle Naval Weapons Station". MilitaryBases.us. Retrieved June 23, 2025.

Further reading

Public Domain This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

Further reading

  • Diaries of Ruth Earle Southwick 1921-1925, ISBN 9781512128819. Ruth Earle Southwick was Ralph Earle's only sister.
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