Robert Edward Coontz (June 11, 1864 – January 26, 1935) was an American naval officer who sailed with the "Great White Fleet" and served as the second Chief of Naval Operations from 1919 to 1923.
Early life and education
Robert Edward Coontz, son of Benton Coontz, was born in Hannibal, Missouri.[1] His parents were originally from Florida, Missouri, where they had been neighbors and schoolmates of a young Sam Clemens. Robert's father was involved in several businesses, including owning Hannibal's streetcar system. While a young boy, Robert left his name for posterity by carving it into the rock of Mark Twain Cave, then known as McDowell's Cave.[2]
After completing his primary education in Hannibal public schools, Coontz attended Ingleside College in Palmyra, Missouri, from 1878 to 1879, and Hannibal College (present day Hannibal-LaGrange University) from 1879 to 1880.[3] Coontz asked family friend Congressman William H. Hatch for an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Several other young men from the congressional district also desired the appointment, so a competitive exam was arranged, which Coontz won.
Career
Ensign Robert Coontz (far right) and other ships officers aboard the USS Pinta, 1889.
Coontz had just been assigned to the Pacific Fleet in September 1919, when he was selected to become Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), succeeding Admiral William S. Benson. Reportedly, his term as CNO was marked by unceasing pressure for economy, Congressional unhappiness over base closings, diplomatic efforts to achieve naval limitations, internal Navy Department conflicts over organization and the best ways to manage new technologies, plus the naval fallout of the Teapot Dome scandal. While dealing with these problems, Admiral Coontz established a unified United States Fleet and strengthened the CNO's position within the Navy Department. Relieved as CNO in August 1923, by Admiral Edward W. Eberle, Coontz was able to return to sea as Commander in Chief of the United States Fleet.
In June 1925, as Admiral, the Coontz led U.S. fleet, consisting of 57 vessels of United States Navy carrying about 25,000 officers and crew, departed the port of San Francisco, California. He led the fleet on a trans-Pacific visit to New Zealand and Australia, byway of Hawaii and Pago Page, American Samoa. This was the first massed deployment of American battleships since the "Great White Fleet" cruise, nearly two decades earlier, and a valuable demonstration of their strategic reach. The last U.S. fleet departed Australia on August 6, 1925. The fleet played a significant role in strengthening Australia-American relations during the interwar years in the lead up to the signing of the formal ANZAS Alliance in 1941.[5][6]
Coontz is also acknowledged for his key role in the promotion of U.S. naval aviation. He lobbied for converting the USS Lexington and USS Saratoga from Lexington-class battlecruisers to Lexington-class aircraft carriers following the Washington Naval Treaty, ships that would prove vital for training in the inter-war years and as fighting ships during World War II.[7] From October 1925, until his retirement in June 1928, he served as Commandant of the Fifth Naval District, reverting to the rank of rear admiral.
Later life
After retiring, Coontz wrote a memoir chronicling his early life growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, and his navy career, titled From the Mississippi to the Sea.[2] Coontz was briefly recalled to active duty in 1930, to investigate railroads in Alaska. A second book, True Anecdotes of an Admiral, was published in 1934.[8] Two years later in 1932, Coontz would represent Alaska at the Democratic National Convention. It was also in 1932, that he became Commander-in-Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.[9] In 1934, Coontz suffered a series of heart attacks. On January 26, 1935, Coontz died at the Puget Sound Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington.[6][10] He is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Hannibal, Missouri.
Personal life
On October 31, 1890, in Sitka, Alaska, Coontz married Augusta Cohen, daughter of Abraham Cohen. They had three children, Benton, Kenneth, and Bertha.[10][11]
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