Re: 1st Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, USA, aviator
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In reply to:
Re: 1st Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, USA, aviator
Theresa Parsons 6/10/02
If I can add to your last reference to a Navy Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge, USN, who commanded USS Monitor which was, by the way, quite interesting. I may search for this elusive commander of the famous ironclad and see if The New York Times does not mention his war record and obituary.
If the 1st Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge, Artillery Corps, USA, U.S. Military Academy Class of 1903, (born 1882, San Francisco, CA) were of descendancy to any distinguished officer (Army or Navy) of earlier services most probably this would have been identified by editors of The New York Times of September 19-25, 1908.
Unfortunately, such edification was not the case here for 1st.Lt. Selfridge. But, because of his early involvement with the pioneering of aeronautics, he was able to secure orders to study under Professor Alexander Graham Bell in the capabilities and potentials of tetrahedral kites for the Army Signal Corps- quite a step apart from the Artillery Corps. We need to keep in mind her that this same Signal Corps provided not only message traffic via telegraph wire and pengions, but it was also the "forward vision & eyes" of the artillery batteries of the War Department; providing feedback of where the artillery shells landed and where to "fire for effect."
If you were to contact the U.S. Military Academy Library at West Point, New York, of where I had spent late Saturday afternoon and all morning Sunday (8-9 June 2002), they should have his records on file (e.g., attendance, class standing, biographical background, who had helped with his entrance exams and admittance into the Class of 1903). Since he was born in San Francisco, CA, he was admitted into the USMA from California.
Keep in touch!