Biography Francis P. Matthews

1 biography

1.1 years
1.2 world war ii
1.3 secretary of navy
1.4 ambassador ireland
1.5 legacy

biography
early years

born in albion, nebraska, matthews spent of adult life in omaha. graduated creighton university in omaha in 1913, practiced law in city time onward. active in business pursuits, civic , religious affairs , democratic party politics. 1933 through 1949, served consultant reconstruction finance corporation.

world war ii

during second world war, mr. matthews served director , vice president of united service organizations (uso) , involved in war-relief work. director (1941–1951) of department of finance in u.s. chamber of commerce. chaired committee on socialism , communism. following war, served briefly (1946–1947) on president s committee on civil rights.

secretary of navy

president harry s. truman tapped matthews in 1949 become secretary of navy (secnav) when previous secnav, john l. sullivan, resigned in protest when secretary of defense (secdef) louis a. johnson canceled heavy attack aircraft carrier uss united states (cva-58), had begun construction.

a lawyer , banker background, matthews had worked closely secdef johnson on political fundraising truman during 1948 presidential campaign. limited understanding of national defense issues , near-nonexistent understanding of or familiarity either u.s. navy or u.s. marine corps, matthews entered secnav post in may 1949. in fact, when asked lack of navy experience when named post in 1949, matthews replied, well, have rowboat @ summer home.

matthews assumed office @ time of internal turmoil in department of defense resulting significant post-world war ii funding reductions , controversial decisions on pre-korean war defense priorities truman administration outlined , executed secdef johnson. 1 of contentious of service unification , roles , missions of each of u.s. armed services. in order fund postwar domestic spending agenda, truman had advocated policy of defense program cuts armed forces @ end of war, , republican party majority in congress, anxious enact numerous tax cuts, approved of truman s plan hold line on defense spending. in addition, truman s previous experience in senate during world war ii had left him lingering suspicions large sums had been, , continuing be, wasted in pentagon. impressed u.s. advances in nuclear weapons development, both truman , johnson had believed atomic bomb had rendered conventional military forces, particularly naval forces (e.g., navy , marine corps), largely irrelevant modern battlefield, justifying cuts strategic nuclear forces. matthews ascribed view , became cornerstone of postwar u.s. defense policy prior establishment of communist nation of east germany soviet union in occupation zone of germany in 1949 , outbreak of hostilities in korea in 1950.

matthews served secnav 1949 through first year of korean war. during 2 years in office, federal government had reverse previous policy , massively increase defense spending meet international crises on korean peninsula , in europe, following 4 years of significant cutbacks in u.s. military, in conventional (e.g., non-strategic / non-nuclear strike) forces. of u.s. armed forces under major strain simultaneously tried meet demands of hot war in asia , intensive defense build-up in support of nato.

one of key events of matthews time @ department of navy prior start of korean war so-called revolt of admirals in 1949, intense controversy between u.s. navy , u.s. air force on funding , strategic roles, of cancellation of supercarrier uss united states , resignation of former secnav sullivan had been catalyst. air force wanted control of strategic nuclear bombing , control of u.s. military aircraft well. argued navy s aircraft carriers obsolete , air force did not want navy (to include marine corps) have own competing air force. navy wanted continue naval aviation in both navy , marine corps , build larger aircraft carriers handle larger, heavier , more powerful jet fighter , heavy attack (e.g., nuclear bomber) aircraft coming service. such carrier, navy argued, play strategic role in nuclear deterrence. flush-deck carriers planned (known supercarriers ) forerunner of modern nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

however, in post-world war ii period prior korean war, air force wanted funding focus on massive convair b-36 bomber strategic air command (sac). in restrictive defense funding environment following world war ii demobilization, focus on b-36 @ expense of aircraft carriers , naval aviation , marine corps , amphibious assault role truman, johnson , matthews saw obsolete. top navy , marine corps leaders publicly expressed dissatisfaction defense department s plans , policies in regard, , several senior admirals, including navy s top admiral, adm louis e. denfeld, chief of naval operations (cno), forced matthews resign , retire, or did in protest.

the house armed services committee (hasc) condemned dismissal of adm denfield, accepted cancellation of supercarrier, testified critically on defense planning , administration of defense unification applied navy , marine corps. following denfield s congressional testimony, matthews fired denfeld cno on 27 october 1949, explaining , denfeld disagreed on strategic policy , unification. however, hasc concluded denfeld s removal political reprisal matthews because of testimony , therefore challenge effective representative government.

matthews perceived vindictiveness towards of u.s. navy s uniformed senior leadership during tenure secnav led perception both american public , u.s. congress of navy s civilian leadership woes, perception did not go totally unnoticed news media of period. washington daily news reported @ time, secretary of navy matthews not have confidence of navy , can not win it...moreover, mr. matthews has forfeited confidence of congress firing admiral denfeld.

matthews actions secretary of navy aligned of immediate superior, secretary of defense, louis johnson, , when appointed secdef, johnson met president truman s needs, in realm of (1) imposing economy measures on u.s. military following end of world war ii , (2) placing near total reliance on strategic nuclear forces of air force on conventional forces of navy, marine corps , army. september 1950, korean war in full swing, fiscal situation respect defense spending had totally reversed , need robust conventional forces had become readily apparent. result, louis johnson became political liability truman administration , resigned secdef @ president truman s request on 19 september 1950, president replacing him retired general of army george c. marshall. protégé of johnson, matthews perceived liability in radically changed budgetary , national defense environment. under political pressure truman administration, matthews resigned secretary of navy in july 1951 become ambassador ireland, home of ancestors.

ambassador ireland

matthews had no prior foreign service or diplomatic experience , appointed ambassador ireland strictly political appointee. in keeping traditional norms of approximately 2/3 of u.s. ambassadors being career u.s. department of state foreign service officers , 1/3 being political appointees matthews, e.g., individuals had been highly engaged political operatives, financial contributors, and/or fundraisers in previous election campaign of incumbent potus. matthews tenure ambassador unremarkable, not surprising given friendly united states relationship ireland, , lasted barely fifteen months in post due personal health issues. while serving ambassador ireland, matthews died on october 18, 1952, during visit omaha, nebraska.

legacy

although matthews prominent omaha banker , lawyer, , more prominent roman catholic layman, little attention has been paid career outside of tenure secnav, since in capacity had greatest institutional impact. in arenas secnav, successful, such efforts integrate minorities mainstream of navy , marine corps via actions such alnav 49-447, mandated, ...equal opportunity personnel in navy/marine corps without regard of race, color, religion or national origin, , 1950 policy statement prohibiting, “...discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in enlistment, appointment, promotion, or assignment...” of navy , marine corps personnel.

but matthews lack of advocacy both navy , marine corps in terms of roles , missions had sworn oath secnav support has driven vast majority of derision legacy. sure, matthews in many respects following orders secdef louis a. johnson, secdef himself following orders president truman cut defense budget in years following end of world war ii , prior start of korean war, latter marking true rise of cold war in earnest. former reserve component army officers (e.g., army reserve johnson , army national guard truman) mobilized active duty , served in europe during world war i, both truman , johnson endemically predisposed support of army and, lesser extent, army supported air force had evolved it.

the air force s, strategic air command s, argument provide relatively inexpensive (from postwar budgetary perspective) national security via deterrence of potential adversary, e.g., soviet union, solely nuclear weapons delivered heavy bomber aircraft such b-36 peacemaker particularly persuasive. notion of conflict involving united states below nuclear threshold had not yet entered strategic thinking or lexicon, while army , air force saw threats postwar budget share marine corps , navy, respectively.

inserted matthews, having had no prior military experience, let alone naval experience, , viewed disdain unqualified , unsupportive johnson sycophant senior navy , marine corps officers of time. matthews never made attempt bridge gap, gap later exacerbated politically-motivated termination of serving chief of naval operations , glaringly noted both congress , news media of day. due matthews actions , inactions, bitterness between navy , marine corps versus air force , army fester , take many years go away. indeed, late 21st century, there remain many retired navy , marine corps officers resent way services treated army , air force in late 1940s, combined matthews systemic failure counter it, , has remained touchstone in professional education of subsequent officers in navy , marine corps, in naval aviation, in decades since. primary reason matthews tenure secnav considered mediocre , abject failure others.