Charles Filmer collection of Low family papers
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of three items pertaining to the family of ADM Francis S. Low, a highly distinguished Naval officer. It includes one 1954 typed note to Mrs. Alice Paul Requa Low (wife of Low) from Madame Chiang Kai-shek (First Lady of China), in which she tells Mrs. Low she is thinking of her; one 1956 handwritten note of thanks to Mrs. Alice Paul Requa Low from Genevieve de Galard; and one memoir entitled "A Personal Narrative of my Association with Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King," by Low from 1961. Low served under Admiral Ernest J. King, Chief of Naval Operations, as Operations Officer during World War II.
Dates
- Creation: 1954-1961
Creator
- Chiang, May-ling Soong, 1897-2003 (Person)
- Galard, Geneviève de, 1924- (Person)
- Low, Francis S. (Francis Stuart), 1894-1964 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Access is open to all researchers, unless otherwise specified.
Conditions Governing Use
Material in this collection is in the public domain, unless otherwise noted.
Biographical / Historical
Admiral Francis S. Low was born on August 15, 1894 to Navy Commander William Franklin Low and Anna (Stuart) Low. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Low served as a submariner on the USS Connecticut, USS Montana, USS D-3, USS O-9 USS L-1, USS L-2, and USS S-12. Low then completed junior coursework at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and became an instructor for the U.S. Naval Academy under the Department of Seamanship. After graduating, he also served on the USS New Mexico and USS Paul Jones.
Low served twice in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations respectively under Admiral William H. Standley and Admiral Harold R. Stark. He acted as Operations Officer and Assistant Chief of Staff under Admiral Ernest J. King. During World War II, Low provided logistical plans for the Doolitte Raid following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He also commanded the cruiser USS Wichita, which operated in North Africa and the Pacific. Low was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1943 and subsequently Vice Admiral in 1947. Following the war, he directed the surrender and neutralization of Japanese naval ships.
Admiral Low received many distinctions for his contributions to the U.S. Navy, including the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, and American Campaign Medal. He retired from U.S. Navy service in 1951. He died on January 22, 1964 in Oakland, California.
Extent
3 items (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection consists of papers related to the family of Admiral Francis S. Low, distinguished Navy officer who graduated from the Naval War College and served during World War II. It includes two letters of thanks to Mrs. Alice Paul Requa Low from Madame Chiang Kai-shek and Genevieve de Galard. It also includes a memoir entitled "A Personal Narrative of my Association with Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, U.S. Navy," written by Low.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Charles Filmer to Naval War College Foundation, 2023 Feb 23.
Processing Information
This collection was processed according to current archival standards by Alix Etheridge in 2024.
Subject
- Low, Alice Paul Requa (Person)
- King, Ernest Joseph, 1878-1956 (Person)
Source
- Filmer, Charles (Person)
- Title
- Charles Filmer collection of Low family papers
- Status
- Dacs Finding Aid
- Author
- Alix Etheridge
- Date
- 2024 Apr 12
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Naval War College Archives Repository