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1841 Stephen B Luce (Admiral), JOHN TYLER U.S. Navy 1st Presidential Appointment

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:3,750.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
1841 Stephen B Luce (Admiral), JOHN TYLER U.S. Navy 1st Presidential Appointment
Autographs
(Admiral) Stephen Bleecker Luce’s Original U.S. Navy Presidential Appointment as a new Midshipman (at age 14)! Signed by President JOHN TYLER Dating: “from the 19th of October, 1841” Founder & 1st Naval War College President
JOHN TYLER (1790-1862). 10th President of the United States, In Office (1841-1845). Tyler Signed a bill to Annex Texas just three days before leaving office as a firm believer in “Manifest Destiny” and was the First President to see his Veto of legislation Overridden by Congress.
May 3, 1843-Dated (Stated as: “from the 19th of October, 1841”), Partially-Printed Vellum Document Signed, “J. Tyler” as president, 1 page, measuring 11.25” x 8”, Choice Extremely Fine. President Tyler Appoints: “Stephen B. Luce …a Midshipman in the Navy of the United States.” A large bold clear Signature of John Tyler as president measures 2.5” long, also Countersigned, “AP Upshur” as Secretary of the Navy. About 52 days later, Upshur would become the Acting Secretary of State.

STEPHEN BLEECKER LUCE (1827-1917) was a United States Navy Admiral. He was the Founder and First President of the Naval War College, between 1884 and 1886. Luce entered the Navy, at the age of 14, on October 19, 1841 as a Midshipman. He was instructed at the Naval School in Philadelphia until the newly instituted United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland was opened in 1845. Luce entered the United States Navy on October 19th, 1841 as a Midshipman (THIS DOCUMENT BEING OFFERED IS THAT FIRST OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT FOR LUCE AS MIDSHIPMAN DATING FROM OCTOBER 19, 1841) and, during the next seven years, served in the frigate Congress and ships of the line North Carolina and Columbus. In 1881 Luce was promoted to Commodore, in which capacity he commanded the US Navy Training Squadron in Newport from April 1881 to June 1884. As Commodore and Rear Admiral, Luce became the First President of the newly-established Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island during 1884-1886. This historic John Tyler Signed U.S. Navy Presidential Appointment is the first of Stephen Bleecker Luce’s long and historic Naval carreer. An important unique Document that is exceptional fresh and vividly printed, well signed, tri-folded when mailed or stored, having excellent eye appeal.


Stephen Bleecker Luce was born on March 25th, 1827 in Albany, New York. He entered the Navy in October 1841 as a Midshipman and, during the next seven years, served in the frigate Congress and ships of the line North Carolina and Columbus.

Following graduation as a member of the U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 1847 and promotion to Passed Midshipman in 1848, he served at the Academy until mid-1849. Luce spent the first half of the 1850s serving in the sloop-of-war Vandalia in the Pacific, on astromomical duty in Washington, D.C., and as an officer of the steamer Vixen. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant in 1855, he was employed on coast survey work and served in the sloop-of-war Jamestown during the rest of the decade.

Lieutenant Luce began another Naval Academy tour in May 1860. A year later, soon after the outbreak of the Civil War, he returned to sea as an officer of the steam frigate Wabash. He was back at the Naval Academy in 1862-1863, receiving promotion to Lieutenant Commander during this time.

From mid-1863 to the end of the American Civil War two years later, he commanded several warships, including the sailing corvette Macedonian, steam sloop Canandaigua, Monitor Nantucket and "double-ender" gunboats Sonoma and Pontiac.

Lieutenant Commander (Commander after mid-1866) Luce was the Naval Academy's Commandant of Midshipmen from October 1865 to June 1868. He then returned to sea as commanding officer of the gunboat Mohongo, in the Pacific, and steam sloop Juniata in the Mediterranean Sea.

Promoted to Captain in December 1872, Luce served at the Boston Navy Yard until the autumn of 1875, then commanded the steam sloop Hartford until August 1877. His later career was heavily involved with educational affairs, initially as Inspector of Training Ships, then in command of the training ship Minnesota and the Training Squadron. He strongly advocated higher education for the Navy's officers and, as a Commodore and Rear Admiral, was the first President of the newly-established Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island during 1884-1886.

Luce also commanded the North Atlantic Squadron in 1884 and in 1886-1889. Though retired in March 1889, Rear Admiral Luce remained active in Naval affairs as President of the U.S. Naval Institute until 1898 and, during the first decade of the 1900s, as President of the Naval Academy's Board of Visitors and on special duty at the War College. Stephen B. Luce died at Newport, R.I., on 28 July 1917.

Luce belonged to several military societies. In 1894 Luce joined the Aztec Club of 1847, a military society of officers who had served during the Mexican War, and served as its president from 1910 to 1911.

Luce joined the Military Order of Foreign Wars (MOFW) and became the founding Commander of the Rhode Island Commandery of the MOFW in 1900. He was also a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (insignia number 13,113) and the Naval Order of the United States.

The United States Navy has named three ships in honor of Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce, including:

USS Luce (Destroyer # 99, later DM 4), 1918-1936; USS Luce (DD 522), 1943-1945; and USS Luce (DLG-7, later DDG-38), 1961-1995.