Ofstie, R. A. (Ralph Andrew), 1897-1956

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The collection consists of sixteen boxes of manuscripts that document the admiral's naval career from 1896 to 1953. The papers are important not only from the standpoint of tracing an officer's career path to flag rank, but they also provide insights into issues facing the Navy during the first four decades of the twentieth century and they chronicle events of the period.Series I consists of biographical information and includes an official navy biography as well as Snyder's service record, while Series II contains all of his naval orders from 1900 to 1945.The largest portion of the collection, however, contains Admiral Snyder's correspondence, which is divided into official Navy correspondence, personal correspondence, and Naval War College correspondence and contains both letters received and letters sent. Official correspondence, 1896-1947, contains requests for leave, transfers, appointments, meetings, assignments, applications, promotions, commissions, reports, fitness reports, medals, awards, requisitions, transportation and temporary duty. Personal correspondence, 1902-1953, contains letters to and from prominent naval officers and family members, including Edward E. Spafford, William A. Moffet, Ralph Earle, son Philip w. Snyder, James O. Richardson, William V. Pratt, Joseph K. Taussig, Chester W. Nimitz, Harris Laning, William H. Standley, Robert E. Coontz, William s. Sims, Joseph M. Reeves, Jonas Ingram and Walter Krueger regarding...

Scope and Contents From the Collection:

College curriculum items, including orientation materials, lectures, addresses, tactical, strategic, demonstrative, scouting and screening and operational problems, maneuver rules, fire effect diagrams, quick decision problems, directives, manuals, articles, historical presentations compiled by members of the Department of Intelligence on naval battles, and translations of the War at Sea, 1914–1918, and miscellaneous NWC publications.