Adolph Marix (April 24, 1848 – June 11, 1919), was a German-born American officer in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, who served in the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cl ...

. The former executive officer of the battleship '' USS Maine'', he served as recorder on the 1898 court of inquiry which investigated the ship's explosion. He eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral. In 1868, he had been the first

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

graduate from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Early life and career

Born in the

Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in French period, Napoleonic through German Confederation, post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was ...

in 1848, Marix immigrated as a boy with his family to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

. In 1864, he entered the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

, graduating in 1868. He was the first Jewish graduate of the Naval Academy. In 1869 he was promoted to the rank of

ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diff ...

, and in the following year was assigned to special duty on the USS ''Congress''. He was promoted master in 1870, served on the USS ''Canandaigua'' with the

North Atlantic Squadron The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...

during 1871–1872, was commissioned

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in 1872, and served thereafter on various ships in the North Atlantic and

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tic stations until 1879, when he was assigned to service in the

Hydrographic Office A hydrographic office is an organization which is devoted to acquiring and publishing hydrographic information. Historically, the main tasks of hydrographic offices were the conduction of hydrographic surveys and the publication of nautical cha ...

. In 1880 he was ordered to the

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house classr ...

USS ''Minnesota'', from which, in 1882, he was transferred to the

sloop-of-war In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enco ...

USS ''Brooklyn'', then with the

South Atlantic Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When th ...

. From 1883 to 1886 he served on the Asiatic station, after which he was assigned to special service in the Judge Advocate General's office. In connection with his duties in this department, he was sent to Australia (1888). On his return (1889), he was assigned to the recently re-commissioned training-ship USS ''Jamestown'', from which he (1892) was transferred to the Hydrographic Office in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

USS ''Maine''

In 1893 he was promoted to

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

and assigned to the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipmen ...

USS ''Minnesota''. In 1895 he was transferred to the battleship USS ''Maine'', on which he served until January 1898, when it was damaged in an explosion. He took command of the USS ''Scorpion''. He served as recorder of the ''Maine'' court of inquiry. In March 1899, he was promoted to the rank of Commander. By act of Congress, Commander Marix was advanced two numbers for "eminent and conspicuous conduct" in battle during two engagements at Manzanillo. The actions were, the Second Battle of Manzanillo and the Third Battle of Manzanillo, during the

. For his actions, he was promoted to Vice admiral. In 1896 Marix married actress

Grace Filkins Grace Filkins (June 3, 1865 – September 16, 1962) was an American stage actress. Early life Grace Sweetman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.George Lesoir"Grace Filkins"''The Theatre'' (October 5, 1889): 493. Her father was a rabbi.

."The Captain of the Scorpion"
''Munsey's Magazine'' (August 1898): 760. He died on June 11, 1919, in the U.S.

References

External links

* Brody, Seymour
"Jews Who Served With Honor In The Spanish–American War."
Last updated July 1, 2005. ''Jewish Heroes and Heroines in America from Colonial Times to 1900: A Judaica Collection Exhibit'', Florida Atlantic University Libraries. Viewed June 4, 2006. * Naval Historical Center *

Retrieved June 4, 2006 from Google cache of Apr 22, 2006. *

** ttps://web.archive.org/web/20040504180642/http://history.navy.mil/danfs/s7/scorpion-iv.htm Naval Historical Center - History of the USS ''Scorpion'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Marix, Adolph 1848 births 1919 deaths American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Navy admirals United States Naval Academy alumni German emigrants to the United States 19th-century German Jews Burials at Arlington National Cemetery

Early life and career

USS ''Maine''

See also

References

External links