Robert Files Lopez (1859—September 20, 1936) was an officer in the United States Navy.[1] He entered Annapolis with the Class of 1879, and he became the first Hispanic-American to graduate from the United States Naval Academy.
Lopez served as an ensign aboard the USS Thetis during a voyage of exploration around Alaska in 1888–89.[2] Lopez Point on Herschel Island was named in his honor by the commander of Thetis, Charles Stockton.[3]
The highlight of his 32-year naval career, was his service under Admiral Dewey's command at the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War, the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.[1]
He commanded the destroyer Preble (DD-12) in 1904–1906.[4]
Captain Lopez's last posting before retirement was as senior member of a naval board which conducted a general survey of vessels on the Pacific coast. He retired as a Commodore (Rear Admiral) in 1911.[5]
Upon America's entry into World War I in 1917, Lopez was recalled to duty as acting commandant of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, located northeast of San Francisco.[1]
Commodore Lopez died in Alameda, California after a year's illness at the age of 77.[1]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Commodore Lopez, 77, Manila Veteran, Dies; Former Commandant of Mare Island Retired in 1911; Served in World War". New York Times. October 1, 1936. p. 25. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=FB0F15FC3D5D1B7B93C3A9178BD95F428385F9.
- ↑ Swineford, Alfred P. (1888). The Cruise of the Thetis: a cruise of ten thousand miles in Alaskan waters. Alaska State Library. http://library.alaska.gov/hist/hist_docs/docs/asl_ms004_06_06.pdf.
- ↑ Burn, C.R.; Hattendorf, John B. (December 2011). "Toponymy of Herschel Island (Qikiqtaryuk), Western Arctic Coast, Canada". pp. 459–464. http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic64-4-459.pdf. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ↑ "USS Preble DD-12". navsource.org. 2012. http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/012.htm. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ↑ "Navy Board Retires Fourteen Officers; Some Well Worth Keeping in Service, but Must Make Way for Younger Men". The New York Times. July 4, 1911. p. 13. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9F03E3DF1131E233A25757C0A9619C946096D6CF&oref=slogin.
The original article can be found at Robert F. Lopez and the edit history here.