Commodore Dudley Wright Knox (21 June 1877 – 11 June 1960) was an officer in the United States Navy during the Spanish-American War and World War I. He was also a prominent naval historian, who for many years oversaw the Navy Department's historical office, now named the Naval Historical Center.
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Born in Fort Walla Walla, Washington, Knox attended school in Washington, D.C. and graduated from the United States Naval Academy on 5 June 1896.
During the Spanish-American War, he served on board screw steamer Maple, a tender, in Cuban waters. He commanded gunboats USS Albany and Iris during the Philippine-American War and the latter during the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. He then commanded three of the Navy’s first destroyers: Shubrick, Wilkes and Decatur before commanding the First Torpedo Flotilla. During the cruise of the “Great White Fleet,” sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt, he was ordnance officer of battleship Nebraska (BB-14).
In the years before World War I, he attended the Naval War College in 1912-13, and following his graduation became the aide to Captain William Sims, commanding the Atlantic Torpedo Flotilla. In 1915, Knox became a leading figure in developing naval operational doctrine by publishing an influential article in the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings. He was Fleet Ordnance Officer in both Atlantic and Pacific, served in the Office of Naval Intelligence, and commanded the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station. In November 1917, he joined the staff of Admiral William Sims, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces in European Waters, and earned the Navy Cross for “distinguished service” serving as Aide in the Planning Section, and later in the Historical Section. He was promoted to Captain 1 February 1918.
After returning to the United States in March 1919, he served for a year on the faculty of the Naval War College, when he was a key figure on the Knox-King-Pye Board examining professional military education. In 1920-21, he successively commanded armored cruiser Brooklyn (ACR-3) and protected cruiser Charleston (C-22) before resuming duty in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
In 1920, Knox first began his work as a naval publicist, serving as naval editor of the Army and Navy Journal in 1920-23, then became naval correspondent of the Baltimore Sun in 1924-46, and naval correspondent of the New York Herald Tribune in 1929. Transferred to the Retired List of the Navy 20 October 1921, he was continued on active duty, simultaneously serving as Officer in Charge, Office of Naval Records and Library, and as Curator for the Navy Department. Knox played a key role in the establishment of the Naval Historical Foundation. Early in World War II, he was assigned important, additional duty as Deputy Director of Naval History.
For a quarter of a century, his leadership inspired diligence, efficiency, and initiative while he guided, improved, and expanded the Navy's archival and historical operations. During his tenure he contributed a written legacy that honored both the Nation and the Navy. His personal connections to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, and other senior leaders in the Navy Department allowed him to play an instrumental role behind the scenes in the years leading up to and during World War II.
A master of content and style, his clear writings included his first book The Eclipse of American Sea Power (1922) to A History of the United States Navy (1936), the latter recognized as "the best one-volume history of the United States Navy in existence." Through his personal connection with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was able to publish key, multi-volume collections of documents on naval operations in The Quasi-War with France in 1798-1800 and the Barbary Wars.
Advanced to Commodore on 2 November 1945, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for "exceptionally meritorious conduct" while directing the correlation and preservation of accurate records of the U.S. naval operations in World War II, thus protecting this vital information for posterity.
Commodore Knox was relieved of all active duty 26 June 1946. He died in Bethesda, Maryland on 11 June 1960. His papers in 24 boxes are in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress.
The United States Navy ship USS Knox (FF-1052) was named for him.
Official U.S. Navy biography Commodore Dudley Knox
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.