author
Charles Francis Adams
1866–1954
Born into the famous Adams family, this lawyer, sailor, and public servant balanced elite connections with a long career in business and government. He is best remembered for serving as U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President Herbert Hoover, while also leaving behind a body of historical and civic writing.
1 Audiobook
Wessagusset and Weymouth
by Charles Francis Adams, Charles Francis Adams, Gilbert Nash
About the author
Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on August 2, 1866, he was a descendant of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and part of one of America’s best-known political families. He studied at Harvard College and Harvard Law School, built a successful legal career in Boston, and became active in business and civic life.
He served as the 44th United States Secretary of the Navy from 1929 to 1933 in Herbert Hoover’s administration. Outside politics, he was also known as a yachtsman and public figure, and his published work reflects strong interests in history, public affairs, and New England life.
For readers, his appeal often lies in that mix of insider perspective and reflective prose: he wrote as someone close to American institutions, but also as an observer of tradition, leadership, and place. He died on June 10, 1954.