Henry T. Mayo

Henry T. Mayo
Admiral Henry T. Mayo
Born	(1856-12-08)December 8, 1856 Burlington, Vermont
Died	February 23, 1937(1937-02-23) (aged 80) Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1876-1921
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	US Atlantic Fleet
Battles/wars	Spanish-American War Banana Wars World War I
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Henry Thomas Mayo (8 December 1856 – 23 February 1937) was an admiral of the United States Navy.

Mayo was born in Burlington, Vermont, 8 December 1856. Upon graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1876 he experienced a variety of naval duties including coastal survey. During the Spanish-American War he served in the gunboat Bennington (PG-4) off the west coast of North America. Appointed rear admiral in 1913, he commanded the naval squadron involved in the Tampico incident of 9 April 1914. His demands for vindication of national honor further accentuated the tense relations with Mexico.

Promoted to vice admiral in June 1915, as the new Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, he received the rank of admiral 19 June 1916. For his organization and support of World War I U.S. Naval Forces both in American and European waters, he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal and various foreign decorations. He evidenced foresight in urging the postwar development of fleet aviation.

Admiral Mayo retired 28 February 1921, and, for four years, served as Governor of the Philadelphia Naval Home. He retained his commission as an admiral by a 1930 Act of Congress. He died at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 23 February 1937.

Namesake

In 1940, the destroyer USS Mayo (DD-422) was named in his honor.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Military offices
Preceded by Frank F. Fletcher	Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet 1916–1919	Succeeded by Henry B. Wilson