126 



HEREDITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NAVAL OFFICERS. 



at West Point, for over 40 years. He was of pure Irish blood. He lived for 

 a while in Norfolk, Virginia, was graduated at West Point, and earned a distin- 

 guished reputation there. He was sent to France for higher military education. 

 He had no strong bias toward arms, but was very fond of drawing and sought the 

 Military Academy as a means to this end. The following incident illustrates his 

 thoughtfulness: Once he was on a board where an objectionable project was 

 offered by an influential officer. A young member of the board asked his advice 

 about opposing it, hesitating on account of the odium that such opposition would 

 bring to him. Mahan advised the young man against such action and then threw 

 the force of his great influence against the proposition and defeated it. 



FAMILY HISTORY OF ALFRED T. MAHAN. 



II (F F), John Mahan, was born in Ireland and came to New 

 York whence he removed to Virginia. I 2, Mary Cleary, born in 

 Ireland. 13 (M F), John Okill, of English stock. 14 (M ), Mary 

 Jay, of Huguenot descent, a vivacious woman. 



II 1 (F), Dennis Hart Mahan (1802-1871), led his class upon 

 being graduated from the United States Military Academv. He 

 was promoted to the corps of engineers, but remained at the academy 

 as instructor. In 1832 he was appointed professor of civil and mili- 

 tary engineering at the academy and, in 1838, dean of the faculty. HI 

 He published many civil and military text-books. II 2 (M), Mary 

 Helena Okill. 



Fraternity of Propositus: III 1, Frederick Augustus Mahan (born 1847), was graduated 

 from the United States Military Academy at West Point with the actual rank of second lieu- 

 tenant of engineers. He served in various capacities as engineer, rising to the rank of major 

 in 1894; in 1900 he retired. He aided in editing the last edition of his father's "Civil Engi- 

 neering." Ill 2, Dennis Hart Mahan (born 1849), was graduated from the United States Naval 

 Academy in 1869. He served in the Philippine campaign, 1899-1900, on the U. S. S. Brooklyn; 

 he was at Kingston, Jamaica, during the earthquake rescue, commanding U. S. S. Indiana. Ill 

 4 (Propositus), ALFRED THAYER MAHAN. Ill 5 (consort), Ellen Lyle Evans. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



ABBOT, H. 1788. Memoir of Dennis Hart Mahan. (In: Biographical Memoirs of Nation. 

 Acad. of Sciences, 1886. Vol. II, pp. 29-37.) 



MAHAN, A. T. 1907. From Sail to Steam. Recollections of a Naval Life. New York: Har- 

 per & Bros, xvii + 326 pp. 



