Naval History and Heritage Command
Henry Bertrand Price
20 June 1869-23 September 1941
An 1893 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Henry Bertrand Price was commissioned Assistant Engineer on 5 July 1895 after the required two years of service at sea. During the Spanish-American War, Price was on board USS Baltimore (Cruiser No. 3) when she was part of the replenishment force for Admiral Dewey’s ships. He served on USS Dixie (Screw Steamer) from her 15 November 1899 commissioning through 13 April 1900 when he received instruction at the Torpedo Station in Newport, Rhode Island. He traveled to the Atlantic Station on board USS Don Juan de Austria and took his first command, USS Iris (Screw Steamer) from 18 December 1902-18 December 1903. After several assignments afloat, he reported to Washington, D.C. for instruction at the Bureau of Equipment through 1906. On 19 January 1907, he became the Ordnance Officer on USS Ohio (Battleship No. 12) and then from October 1907-December 1909 he served in the Bureau of Ordnance in D.C. Prior to the commissioning of USS Delaware (Battleship No. 28) on 22 April 1912, he was her Inspector of Machinery and then her Executive Officer until 15 May 1913. He attended the short course at the Naval War College in the summer of 1913 and then had duty at the Naval Academy until September 1915. He assumed command of the newly commissioned USS Melville (AD-2) on 3 December 1915. When the United States entered WWI in April 1917, he was given command of Dixie and served on her through the duration of the war. He was awarded a Navy Cross for this command. Following the war he became Commandant of Naval Training Station, San Francisco until he assumed command of USS Wyoming (Battleship No. 32) in July 1921. In August 1923 he became Governor of Guam and Commandant of the naval station there until transferred to the retired list on 26 June 1925. His duty as Governor did not end until April 1926. A brief assignment in the CNO’s office in the summer of 1926 preceded the relief of all active duty. He died in San Francisco on 23 September 1941.
