Douglas Legate Howard
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Douglas Legate Howard | |
|---|---|
 Midshipman Douglas L. Howard | |
| Nickname(s) | "Doug" |
| Born | February 11, 1885 Annapolis, Maryland |
| Died | December 14, 1936 (aged 51) Annapolis, Maryland |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1906–1933 |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Bowyer Howard |
| Other work | Head coach, United States Naval Academy Midshipmen |
Douglas Legate Howard (February 11, 1885 – December 14, 1936) was a football player and coach and officer in the United States Navy. He served as the commander of three destroyers during World War I and later as the division commander of destroyers with command of the fleet flagship, the USS Seattle.
He also served as a player, captain, and head coach of the Navy Midshipmen football team. In four years as Navy's head football coach, Howard's teams compiled 25–7–4 record. He also served as the Naval Academy's athletic director from 1919 to 1921.
After retiring from the Navy, Howard served as the dean of St. John's College and president of the Annapolis Banking and Trust Company.
Early life
Howard was born in 1885 in Annapolis, Maryland. His father, Thomas B. Howard, was an officer in the United States Navy, and his grandfather, Abram Claude, was the mayor of Annapolis and a member of the faculty at the United States Naval Academy. Howard attended the St. John's preparatory school for two years and then the Naval Academy itself. He played football at the academy, serving as captain of the 1905 Navy Midshipmen football team the compiled a 10–1–1 record. He was also the Academy's heavyweight boxing champion and received the Thompson Trophy Cup as the midshipmen who had done the most to promote athletics.[1][2][3]
Naval and coaching career
After graduating from the Naval Academy, he served in the Navy.[1]
In 1911, Howard became the 14th head coach of the [[Navy Cadets football program. In his first year as head coach, Howard led the 1911 Navy Midshipmen football team to an undefeated 6–0–3 record.[4] He remained as head coach for four seasons, from 1911 until 1914. His coaching record at Navy was 25–7–4.[5]
Howard returned to active duty in 1915 following the outbreak of World War I. He served as commanding officer of the USS Drayton (DD-23), a destroyer that was part of the second group of American warships to enter the war zone. He also held commands during the war of two other destroyers, the USS Rowan (DD-64) and USS Bell (DD-95).[6] He was awarded the Navy Cross for his distinguished service on patrol and convoy escort duty in waters infested with submarines and mines.
After the war, Howard served briefly as division commander of destroyers and served as the executive officer and then commander of the fleet flagship, the USS Seattle.[2] In 1919, he returned to Annapolis, serving as the Naval Academy's athletic director from 1919 to 1921.He graduated from the Navy War College in 1932 and from the Army War College in 1932.[6] He spent his later years of service in the intelligence department at the Navy Department. He retired from the Navy in 1933.[1][6]
Family, later years, and honors
Howard was married in November 1910 to Ruth Bowyer, daughter of Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, Rear Admiral John M. Bowyer.[6][7][8] They had two sons, J.M.B. Howard and Joseph B. Howard, and a daughter, Anne.[6]
After retiring from the Navy, Howard was hired as the assistant to the president of St. John's College in Annapolis.[1] He eventually served as the dean at St. John's. He resigned as dean of St John's in 1936 to become president of the Annapolis Banking and Trust Company.[2]
Howard died at Annapolis on December 14, 1936, shortly after assuming the presidency of the Annapolis Banking and Trust Company. The cause of death was reported as apoplexy.[9] USS Douglas L. Howard (DE-138) was named in his honor. The ship was launched 24 January 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Ltd., Orange, Texas; sponsored by Mrs. D. I. Thomas, daughter of Captain Howard; and commissioned 29 July 1943, Lieutenant Commander G. D. Kissam, USNR, in command.[10]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Midshipmen (Independent) (1911–1914) | |||||||||
| 1911 | Navy | 6–0–3 | |||||||
| 1912 | Navy | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1913 | Navy | 7–1–1 | |||||||
| 1914 | Navy | 6–3 | |||||||
| Navy: | 25–7–4 | ||||||||
| Total: | 25–7–4 | ||||||||
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ a b c d "St. John's Names Capt. D.L. Howard: Retired Naval Officer Appointed Assistant To Acting President Of College". The Baltimore Sun. February 27, 1934. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Capt. D.L. Howard Dies at Annapolis: Retired Naval Officer Was Head Of Banking And Trust Company". The Baltimore Sun. December 15, 1936 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Captain of Navy Team: Midshipman Douglas Legate Howard to be Football Leader at Annapolis Next Season". The Boston Globe. December 5, 1904. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "1911 Navy Midshipmen Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ Navy Midshipmen football coaching records Archived December 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e "Capt. D.L. Howard Dies at Annapolis (part 2)". The Baltimore Sun. December 15, 1936 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Ruth Bowyer To Wed: Superintendent's Daughter Will Become Mrs. Douglas Howard". The Baltimore Sun. November 18, 1910 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Miss Bowyer Is Married: Event Hastened Because Ensign Howard Is Ordered To Sea". The Baltimore Sun. November 28, 1910 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Capt. Howard, Former Navy Grid Star and Coach, Dies Suddenly". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. December 15, 1936. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Douglas L. Howard