Charles Francis Adams III

Charles Francis Adams III (August 2, 1866 – June 10, 1954) was an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 44th United States Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.

Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Adams was the son of Frances "Fanny" Cadwalader Crowninshield and John Quincy Adams II. He was a descendant of two U.S. Presidents: Great-grandson of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, and great-great-grandson of John Adams, the second president. His maternal grandfather was U.S. Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Williams Crowninshield. Adams was a member of the prominent Adams family, which produced several U.S. Presidents and notable public figures.

Adams graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1888, where he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Alpha chapter). He continued his education at Harvard Law School, graduating in 1892. After being admitted to the bar in 1893, he initially practiced law before engaging in business activities. From 1896 to 1897, he served as mayor of Quincy, Massachusetts.

In 1899, Adams married Frances Lovering, daughter of U.S. Representative William C. Lovering. The couple had two children: Catherine Frances Lovering Adams, born in 1902, who married Henry Sturgis Morgan, son of J.P. Morgan Jr., and Charles Francis Adams IV, born in 1910, a businessman and the first president of Raytheon Company. Adams also had a total of five sons with his wife.

In 1903, Adams, serving as president of the Massachusetts Historical Society, proposed to Congress that the USS Constitution should be restored and returned to active service. This initiative resulted in Congress allocating funds for her restoration, completed in 1907, and opening her to the public.

Adams was involved in corporate affairs, serving as an officer in 43 corporations, including major railroads such as the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and Union Pacific Railroad. He also served on the Harvard Corporation and was active in several banking and industrial enterprises.

Adams was an avid yachtsman. In 1920, he skippered the Resolute defender in the America's Cup, earning recognition as the "Dean of American Helmsmen." He was posthumously inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1993. His yachting achievements include winning the King's Cup, Astor Cup, and Puritan Cup in 1939.

In 1929, Adams was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Herbert Hoover. During his tenure, he promoted the importance of the Navy in international relations and worked to maintain naval strength during the Great Depression. He participated in negotiations such as the 1930 London Naval Treaty, where he successfully upheld U.S. naval parity with Britain. He served until March 4, 1933.

Adams was a supporter of limited presidential terms and was an advocate for reforms in presidential succession and post-presidential political roles. He was also a member of the District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and an honorary companion of the Naval Order of the United States. In 1932, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Charles Francis Adams III died on June 10, 1954, and was buried in Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, Massachusetts. His estate was valued at approximately $192,000 at the time. Several honors were established in his memory, including the Charles Francis Adams Memorial Trophy for yacht racing and the USS Charles F. Adams, a Navy destroyer named in his honor.