Naval History and Heritage Command

Finding Aid (PDF, 123KB)

Scope and Content Notes

Despite RADM Phelps’ long naval career, the Collection is small and highlights only a few of the Admiral’s assignments, a small portion of a long naval career.

The material is arranged chronologically and then separated by type – manuscript, addresses books and other ephemera and finally, photographs.  Materials relate to Phelps’ assignments as the Executive Officer for the USS Mayflower, President T. Roosevelt’s presidential yacht, USS Delaware during the coronation of King George V of England, in 1911, command of the transport USS Leviathan, ferrying troops home; Commander of the Yangtze Patrol, China, 1922-24, as well as assignments as the Commandant at the Navy Yard at Portsmouth, NH and Brooklyn, NY.

Photographs include those of ships taken by the Admiral’s son, Southwick, in China (1923) and San Pedro, CA (1927).  

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as Papers of William W. Phelps, Archives Branch, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington, D.C.