Washington Irving Chambers
From Freepedia
Captain Washington Irving Chambers, USN (1856-1934) was a U.S. Navy officer who played a major role in the early development of Naval aviation, serving as the first officer to have oversight of the Navy's aviation program.
Chambers was born in Kingsport, New York in 1856 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1876. He served in various sea and shore billets from that time onwards. In 1907-09, he was Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. Later on, he was placed in charge of the development of aviation in the Bureau of Navigation.
Chambers Field in Norfolk, Virginia, dedicated in June 1938, was named in his honor.
Many of his papers are held by the U.S. Library of Congress.
References
- Grossnick, Roy A. et al. United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995. Washington, D.C: Naval Historical Center, Dept. of the Navy, 4th edition [1997?]
External links
- A Brief History of U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers - Part I: The Early Years - From the Chief of Naval Information, U.S. Navy
- bluejacket.com U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Historic Air Fields Post World War I - Reference to Chambers Field
