Charles Francis Adams III (2 August 1866 - 1954) was the United States Secretary of the Navy under Herbert Hoover and well-known as a yachtsman .
A scion of the Adams family that gave the country two presidents, Charles Francis was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. He graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1888 and from Harvard Law School in 1892. He was first a lawyer, then went into business.
In 1920, he skippered the America's Cup defender Resolute and soon became known as the "Dean of American Helmsmen".
As Secretary of the Navy, from 1929 to 1933, he vigorously promoted public understanding of the Navy's indispensable role in international affairs, and worked strenuously to maintain naval strength and efficiency during a period of severe economic depression. He served at the London Naval Conference in 1930 where he successfully maintained the principle of United States naval parity with Great Britain. He died in 1954 and is buried at Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy.
The Charles Francis Adams Memorial Trophy for yacht racing was established in his memory, and the Navy destroyer USS Charles F. Adams was named after him.
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