Converse, George Albert, 1844-1909

Resident of Fowlerville, Mich., who served in Company D, 9th Michigan Infantry, during the Civil War.

Naval officer.

George Albert Converse (1844-1909) was an officer in the U.S. Navy who is remembered for his contributions to naval engineering; he was a known expert on ordnance especially torpedoes. He was a pioneer in the use of electricity on men-of-war, experimentation with smokeless powder in the Navy and the development of torpedo boats. Converse was born in Norwich, Vermont, May 13, 1844, the son of Shubael and Luvia Morrill Converse. From 1858-1861, he attended Norwich University, where he obtained a B.S. degree in 1863. He was appointed midshipman November 29, 1861 and attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating first in his class in 1865. Commissioned an ensign on December 1, 1866, he advanced through the ranks to rear admiral, effective November 8, 1904. Converse married Laura Shelby on December 9, 1871, and they had four daughters.

In 1865-1869 Converse was posted to the European squadron and served on two steam sloops, the Canandaigua and Frolic, before serving a brief period with the Bureau of Navigation in 1869. He was then posted to torpedo duty until 1872, when he was assigned to the staff of Rear Admiral Thorton A. Jenkins, commander of the Asiatic Fleet. From 1875 to 1878, Converse instructed at the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, R.I., and until 1879 was an executive officer of the USS Marion . In 1883-1884 he served aboard the USS Lancaster under Rear Adm. Charles H. Baldwin. Converse then transferred to the Naval Bureau of Ordnance, returning as an instructor to the Naval Torpedo Station in 1885.

Converse was an inspector of torpedo boats at Bristol, R.I., (1889-1890), Commander of the USS Enterprise (1890-1891), and assigned to the Bureau of Ordnance (1891-1892). During the Spanish American War, he commanded the USS Montgomery with Admiral William T. Sampson’s squadron off Cuba. Converse was then detailed to the Bureau of Navigation, 1899-1901. He also served on a number of naval boards during this time. From 1901-1903, Converse commanded the battleship USS Illinois . He was then transferred to the naval department, successively serving as chief of the following bureaus: equipment, ordnance, and navigation, until his retirement in 1907. Converse died in Washington, D.C. on March 29, 1909 and is buried in National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

Sources:

The Cyclopedia of American Biography . Volume 36, page 293. Michigan: University Microfilms, 1967.

George Albert Converse, Rear Admiral, United States Navy. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/gaconverse.htm

"Real Admiral George A. Converse." New York Times, 30 March 1909.