Thomas Tingey Craven (US Navy admiral)

This article is about the 20th-century U.S. Navy admiral. For his grandfather, also an admiral, see Thomas Tingey Craven (rear admiral).

Thomas Tingey Craven
File:Thomas Tingey Craven.jpg Lieutenant Commander Thomas Tingey Craven in service dress blue uniform.
Born	(1873-07-08)July 8, 1873 Vallejo, California
Died	St. Albans, New York
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1896–1937,1942-1946
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	Director of Naval Communications
Battles/wars	Philippine–American War World War I World War II
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal

 Thomas Tingey Craven (8 July 1873, Vallejo, California - 5 April 1950, St. Albans, New York) was a United States Naval Officer with service in World War I and World War II and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral.

Biography

He was a son of Henry Smith Craven, a United States Navy officer and engineer and the grandson of his namesake, Thomas Tingey Craven (1808–1887) and great-grandson of Commodore Thomas Tingey (1750–1829). Craven graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1896. He married Antoinette Merritt in 1901. In 1908, Craven was stationed aboard the battleship USS South Carolina (BB-26) assigned duties as the ship's gunnery officer. In 1916, Thomas T. Craven was given command of the gunboat Sacramento (PG-19) which he commanded throughout World War I until 1918.

In 1919 while serving as the director of Naval Aviation, Tingey ordered the USS Jupiter (AC-3), a collier, to be converted into the U.S. Navy's first dedicated aircraft carrier which was renamed, USS Langley (CV-1). In the aftermath of the Honda Point Disaster in September 1923, Admiral Tingey defended Captain Edward H. Watson, Commanding Officer of Destroyer Squadron 11, during the courts martial proceedings.

During the remainder of his naval career, Craven commanded Destroyer Squadron 15, was the Director of Naval Communications, commanded Great Lakes Naval Training Station, the Yangtze Patrol in China, Battleship Division One and served as the Commandant of the Thirteenth Naval District in Bremerton, Washington prior to retiring from active duty in 1937.

Following the United States' entrance into World War II, Vice Admiral Craven was recalled to active duty serving as superintendent of the New York Maritime Academy at Fort Schuyler, NY until 1946.