Richmond Pearson Hobson
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| Richard Pearson Hobson | |
|---|---|
| August 17, 1870 – March 16, 1937 (aged 66) | |
 Naval Constructor Richmond P. Hobson, 1898 |
|
| Place of birth | Greensboro |
| Place of death | New York City, New York |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |  United States Navy |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Spanish-American War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
Richmond Pearson Hobson (17 August 1870 – 16 March 1937) was a United States Navy Rear Admiral who served from 1905-1915 as a U.S. Representative from Alabama. A veteran of the Spanish-American War, he received the Medal of Honor years later for his part in that conflict.
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[edit] Biography
He was born in Greensboro in Hale County in the western Black Belt of Alabama. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1889. After duty in Chicago, he underwent additional training and was appointed Assistant Naval Constructor in 1891. Hobson then served at various Navy Yards and facilities, including a tour of duty as instructor at the Naval Academy.
In the early days of Spanish-American War, he was with Admiral William T. Sampson in New York, and arrived off Santiago 1 June 1898. In order to bottle up the Spanish squadron of Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, Hobson took temporary command of collier Merrimac, which he would attempt to sink as an obstruction in the channel. The attempt was made early 3 June under heavy Spanish fire, which disabled the steering gear of the collier. Hobson did sink the Merrimac, but was unable to place her in the shallowest part of the channel. With his intrepid crew of six, he was picked up by Admiral Cervera himself, and treated quite chivalrously for his gallant expedition.
Hobson was advanced ten numbers in grade after the war and later, in 1933, awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic attempt to block the channel. After the Spanish-American War he worked on the repairing and refitting of captured Spanish cruisers at Cavite and at various shore stations of the Navy.
One of his close friends was American genius and inventor Nikola Tesla. In later years, Hobson was the only person who was able to persuade Tesla to interrupt his intellectual pursuits for a movie gathering.
Hobson was the author of a book about the events surrounding the sinking of collier Merrimac in which he participated as the leader of a volunteer squad.
Having resigned in 1903, Hobson remained a staunch supporter of the Navy and during his subsequent career as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Alabama, 1905-1915, was a firm advocate of naval expansion. He was denied renomination in the 1914 Democratic primary. In 1934, by special act of the United States Congress, he was advanced to Naval Constructor with a rank of Rear Admiral, and placed on the retired list. Rear Admiral Hobson died 16 March 1937 in New York City. He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy. Born: 17 August 1870, Greensboro, Ala. Accredited to: New York. (Medal presented by President, 29 April 1933.)
Citation:
- In connection with the sinking of the U.S.S. Merrimac at the entrance to the fortified harbor of Santiago de Cuba, 3 June 1898. Despite persistent fire from the enemy fleet and fortifications on shore, Lt. Hobson distinguished himself by extraordinary courage and carried out this operation at the risk of his own personal safety.
[edit] Namesake
The destroyer USS Hobson (DD-464) was named in his honor.
[edit] Relations
Hobson's nephew, James Hobson Morrison, Sr., was the Democratic congressman from the Baton Rouge-centered Sixth Congressional District of Louisiana from 1943-1967. Like his uncle, Morrison too was denied Democratic renomination at the end of his congressional career.
[edit] Role in American Drug Policy
Hobson has been called "The Father of American Prohibition"[1] because of his advocacy for criminalizing alcohol and other drugs. Hobson was a prolific author on this subject, writing the books Narcotic Peril (1925), The Modern Pirates-Exterminate Them (1931) and Drug Addiction: A Malignant Racial Cancer (1933).[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774-Present - Richmond Pearson Hobson
