James V. Forrestal
| James V. Forrestal | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st United States Secretary of Defense | |
|
In office September 17, 1947 – March 28, 1949 |
|
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Louis A. Johnson |
| 48th United States Secretary of the Navy | |
|
In office May 19, 1944 – September 17, 1947 |
|
| President |
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Frank Knox |
| Succeeded by | John L. Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Vincent Forrestal February 15, 1892 Matteawan, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 22, 1949 (aged 57) Montgomery County, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cause of death | |
| Resting place |
Arlington National Cemetery Section 30 Lot 674 Grid X-39 38°53′02″N 77°03′55″W / 38.8837738°N 77.0653458°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Josephine Stovall Ogden (formerly Stovall) (1926) |
| Children |
Michael Forrestal Peter Forrestal |
| Alma mater |
Dartmouth College Princeton University |
| Profession |
Investment banker Politician |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.
Forrestal was a supporter of naval battle groups centered on aircraft carriers. In 1954, the world's first supercarrier was named USS Forrestal in his honor, as is the James V. Forrestal Building, which houses the headquarters of the United States Department of Energy. He is also the namesake of the Forrestal Lecture Series at the United States Naval Academy, which brings prominent military and civilian leaders to speak to the Brigade of Midshipmen, and of the James Forrestal Campus of Princeton University in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey.
Forrestal was born in Matteawan, New York, (now part of Beacon, New York), the youngest son of James Forrestal, an Irish immigrant who dabbled in politics. His mother, the former Mary Anne Toohey (herself the daughter of another Irish immigrant) raised him as a devout Roman Catholic. He was an amateur boxer. After graduating from high school at the age of 16, in 1908, he spent the next three years working for a trio of newspapers: the Matteawan Evening Journal, the Mount Vernon Argus and the Poughkeepsie News Press.
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