Reminiscences of Rear Adm. Thomas J. Hamilton, USN (Ret.)

This memoir concentrates on the two major aspects of Admiral Hamilton’s career - in athletics and in naval aviation. He played for the Naval Academy’s national championship football team in 1926 and was later coach and athletic director for the Academy. After retirement he was athletic director for the University of Pittsburgh and commissioner of the Pacific Eight Conference. As an aviator, he flew several types of aircraft: torpedo, scout, patrol, and transport. During World War II, he was air officer and executive officer of the famous carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) and then commanded the escort carrier USS Savo Island (CVE-78) at war’s end. At the beginning of the war, he combined his two interests while heading the Navy’s pre-flight training program, which placed heavy emphasis on athletics.