John Hood (naval officer)

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John Hood (3 December 1859 – 11 February 1919) was an admiral of the United States Navy during World War I. He was also a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

Hood was born in Florence, Ala., 3 December 1859. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1875, and graduated from the Naval Academy, second in his class. His first cruise after graduation took him to the South Atlantic in Shenandoah, and he later sailed in Wachusett, Brooklyn, Vandalia, Mohican, Jamestown, Constellation, Bancroft and Kearsarge. Hood was wrecked with Kearsarge 21 February 1894 on Roncador Reef off Central America in the Pacific. He was a lieutenant in Maine (ACR-1) when she was blown up at Havana 15 February 1898.

He commanded Hawk (IX-14) during the Spanish-American War, carried information of the arrival of the Spanish Caribbean Squadron off Santiago, Cuba, to Commodore Winfield S. Schley, the commander of the Flying Squadron at Cienfuegos, and delivered orders for him to proceed to Santiago 23 May 1898. He also served in Nero (AC-17) during the Spanish War. Hood surveyed the Pacific in 1899–1900 to prepare data and charts by which the Pacific telegraph cable was laid.

Hood commanded Elcano (PG-38) in Chinese waters during the Russo-Japanese War from 1903 to 1905 and Tacoma (CL-20) from 1907 to 1909, during Haitian and Central American revolutions and elections. He was in charge of the ships at the Naval Academy in 1909 and 1910. He commanded Rhode Island (BB-17) of the Atlantic Fleet in 1910–11. Under him in 1911–12, Delaware (BB-28) won the battle efficiency pennant. From 1912 to 1915 he was a member of the General Board of the Navy. In 1915–16 he commanded Texas (BB-35) which won the "Red E" for excellence in engineering efficiency.