(Redirected from George von L. Meyer)
'George von Lengerke Meyer' (
June 24,
1858 –
March 9,
1918) was a
Massachusetts businessman and politician who served as
United States Postmaster General from
1907 to
1909 during the administration of President
Theodore Roosevelt and
United States Secretary of the Navy from
1909 to
1913 during the administration of President
William Howard Taft.
A native of
Boston, Meyer held positions in state and local government while also managing his business affairs. While in the Massachusetts Legislature, he served as Speaker of the House. Republican Presidents
William McKinley and
Theodore Roosevelt appointed Meyer to ambassadorships in Italy (1900-1905) and Russia (1905-1907). Meyer also served as Roosevelt's
Postmaster General, from 1907-1909.
Upon taking office in March
1909, President Taft appointed Meyer to the position of Secretary of the Navy, a post which Meyer held throughout Taft's term. During this period, the Navy made its first experiments with
aviation. In separate tests in 1910 and 1911, civilian pilot
Eugene Ely proved the feasibility of
carrier-based aviation, by taking off from and landing on a Navy warship.
Meyer retired from national politics in 1913, after Taft left office. He returned to Massachustts and died in Boston on
March 9,
1918.
The Navy
destroyer USS ''Meyer'' (DD-279), named in his honor, was commissioned
December 17,
1919 and was in service until
May 15,
1929.
External links
★
George von Lengerke Meyer at
Find A Grave