William E. Chandler
William Eaton Chandler (December 28, 1835 – November 30, 1917), also known as Bill Chandler,[1] was a lawyer who served as United States Secretary of the Navy and as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire. In the 1880s, he was a member of the Republican "Half-Breed" faction,[2] the wing of the party which advocated civil service reform. His credentials were established as moderate in comparison to most of the Republican Party, particularly in his opposition towards sound money.[3]
William E. Chandler
Gilman Marston
November 30, 1917 (aged 81)
Concord, New Hampshire, U.S.
1
Chandler, who continued to advocate civil rights following the end of Reconstruction, criticized the policies of President Rutherford B. Hayes, whose actions pertaining to the South he viewed as too lenient.[4] Chandler started the U.S. Naval resurgence and the precedent of the U.S. Navy being constructed with modern steel ships.[5]
Legacy[edit]
USS Chandler (DD-206) was named for him.
Chandler's grandson Theodore E. Chandler joined the U.S. Navy in 1911 while his grandparents were both still alive, and later distinguished himself as a rear admiral in World War II. While aboard the cruiser USS Louisville, he was killed in action by a Japanese kamikaze aircraft during the Battle of Lingayen Gulf in January 1945.
