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Location of Archival Materials

Vice Admiral Mahlon S. Tisdale, USN (1890-1972)

An Inventory of His Collection

Table of Contents

Overview of the Collection

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Detailed Description of the Collection

Restrictions

Index Terms

Administrative Information



Overview of the Collection

Repository:

Navy Department Library

Creator:

Mahlon S. Tisdale

Title:

Mahlon S. Tisdale Collection

Dates:

1908-1942 (inclusive)

Dates:

1908-1912 (bulk)

Quantity:

1 Boxed Scrapbook and 1 Folder

Abstract:

VADM Tisdale attended the United States Naval Academy between 1908-1912. The bulk of the collection consists of the scrapbook and memorabilia collected by Tisdale during his years as a midshipman.

Language:

The records are in English.

Biographical Note

Vice Admiral Mahlon S. Tisdale, USN (1890-1972)

Mahlon Street Tisdale was born on 6 December 1890, in Wenona, Illinois. He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1908. He graduated and received a commission as an ensign in the United States Navy on 7 June 1912.

He joined the battleship North Dakota after graduating from the Naval Academy and served on that ship until September 1913. He than had duty on the cruiser Salem, as watch and diversion officer, in operations at Vera Cruz in 1914, and on the collier Neptune until April 1916. After duty in connection with fitting out Pennsylvania, he served on board that battleship from her commissioning on 12 June 1916 until March 1917. When the United States entered World War I, on 6 April 1917, he was assigned aide and flag secretary on the staff of the Commander, Patrol Force, Atlantic Fleet. In that capacity he served at New York and Norfolk, and from August to November 1917 at Gibraltar. He was then assigned to the staff of the commander of the US Navy Patrol Squadrons operating in European waters.

After his return to the United States in January 1919, he had duty in connection with fitting out Hart, and served as executive officer of that ship from her commission on 16 February 1919 until March 1920, when he was transferred to Ludlow. In January 1921 he became division radio officer on the staff of the Commander, Battleship Division Six, Pacific Fleet on board the Wyoming.

From June 1921 to May 1925 he served as secretary of the Academic Board and aide to the superintendent of the Naval Academy, then returned to sea as executive officer of Aroostook. On 23 October 1926, Tisdale assumed command of the destroyer Farenholt, his first command. He was detached from that ship in June 1928 and reported the next month as officer in charge of the Navy Recruiting Station, Los Angeles, California, with additional duty as inspector instructor of Naval Reserves. He served in that assignment for two years, until June 1930, when he reported to the aircraft carrier Lexington.

He served as aide to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy from June 1932 until May 1933. For two years thereafter he was on duty in the Executive Department of the Naval Academy. From July 1935 until April 1937 he commanded Destroyer Division Sixteen of Destroyers, Battle Force, US Fleet, and had further sea duty until March 1941, first as executive officer of the repair ship Regal before taking command of Vestal and then Chester.

He was designated Commandant of Midshipmen at the US Naval Academy in April 1941 and remained in that assignment for several months after the United States' entry into World War II. In June 1942 he was ordered to the Pacific Fleet to serve as commander of Cruisers, Task Force Sixteen. In January 1943 he was designated Commander, Destroyers, Pacific Fleet until January 1944 when he reported for duty as Commandant of the Navy Yard, Mare Island, California. In September 1945 he was redesignated Commandant, US Naval Base, San Francisco, California. He served as commander Mare Island Sub Area, US Naval Base, San Francisco, from February 1947 until relieved of active duty, pending retirement for physical disability on 1 November 1947.

VADM Tisdale died on 12 July 1972.

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Scope and Contents

The collection consists of a large, cumbersome scrapbook along with a folder the contains copies of loose newspaper clippings and memorabilia collected while Tisdale was a member of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Naval Academy, including materials from the summer cruise of 1910. The collection also contains a tract chart of the Battle of Tassaforonga along with an explanatory note prepared by VADM Tisdale in 1965.

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Arrangement

The collection is arranged by subject into four archival envelopes housed in a single folder.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Official Biography

Scrapbook (circa 1908-1909)

Containing newspaper clippings, cartoons, and miscellaneous memorabilia from Tisdale's days as a midshipman including: schedules of various athletic events, dance cards, souvenirs, etc. The scrapbook also contains approximately 70 annotated photographs, the majority showing friends and acquaintances. The remainder, approximately 20 in number, show scenes of Annapolis, the Naval Academy, and nearby Washington, DC.

Personal Memorabilia and Ephemera collected by Tisdale, 1908-1912.

Newspaper clippings about the US Naval Academy.

Newspaper clippings about the summer cruise of 1910.

Programs and dance cards including one titled "Farewell Entertainment Smoker Given by the Midshipmen and Crew of the U.S.S. Iowa, Solomon Island, Md., Saturday Evening August 17, 1910."

American Cadet Special Luncheon Menu from the Great Western Railroad Company.

Army-Navy Game Football Ticket, 25 November 1911.

Track Chart of the Battle of Tassafaronga.

Note: during the aforementioned battle, Tisdale, then a rear admiral, commanded the Cruiser Task Group of Task Force Sixteen.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Use

Manuscripts are unavailable for loan and must be consulted in the library. Photocopying of manuscripts is generally prohibited, though the use of digital cameras by researchers to reproduce non-copyrighted materials is permitted. Permission to photocopy a limited number of pages may be granted by the reference staff, contingent upon the physical state of items. All photocopying of materials shall be done by the reference staff, or under their close supervision. The use of personal scanners by non-library staff personnel must be approved by the reference staff on a document-by-document basis (Reference: Naval History and Heritage Command Instruction [NAVHISTCENTINST] 5070.1C.).

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Personal name:

Tisdale, Mahlon S.

Subject:

Tassafaronga, Battle of Solomon Islands, 1942.
United States Naval Academy. Class of 1912.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Cite as: Historical Manuscripts, Navy Department Library, Naval History and Heritage Command, Washington DC, Mahlon S. Tisdale Collection.

Processing Information

The collection was processed and a finding aid prepared by Thomas Wildenberg in September 2006.

Published: Wed Feb 14 08:33:27 EST 2018