Francis Stuart Low was born on August 15, 1894 in Albany, NY. He entered the Naval Academy in 1911 at the age of 16 after attending high school in Newton, MA. In the years following Low's graduation from the Naval Academy in 1915, he completed training in submarine school and went on to command multiple submarines from 1917-1922.
In 1925, Low spent a year studying at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI, followed by a yearlong post as an instructor at the Naval Academy. Starting in 1927 he served on the USS New Mexico for three years, after which he was sent to the Asiatic Station where he commanded the USS Paul Jones. In 1935 he returned to the United States to serve two positions in Navy Department until World War II, with a two year service as the Commander of Submarine Squadron 13 in between.
During World War II, Low worked closely with Admiral King, as Operations Officer and later as Chief of Staff of the 10th Fleet. He was eventually given command of the 16th Cruiser Division in early 1945. During this time, he played an integral role in anti-U-boat tactics, as well as assisting in strikes against the Japanese islands and mainland. Low was also tasked with the securing of Japanese Naval installations following their surrender in August of 1945.
Following the war, he served as a Commander in various capacities, as well as the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Logistics). Low's final post was serving as the Commander West Sea Frontier and Pacific Reserve Fleet until his retirement in July 1956, after which he was advanced to the rank of Admiral. He retired to Oakland, CA with his wife, Alice Paul Requa Low (1900-1982), and passed away at the age of 69 on January 22, 1964.
Low's decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Haitian Campaign Medal, Mexican Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Europe-Africa-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, American Campaign Medal, Commendation Ribbon, Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Medal, American Defense Service Medal, Yangtze River Service Medal, WWI & WWII Victory Medals, Combat Action Ribbon, Order of the British Empire (Commander), Philippines Legion of Honor (Commander), Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Grand Officer), France Legion of Honor (Commander), as well as multiple commendations in regards to Gunnery and Battle Efficiency aboard the USS New Mexico.
This collection contains manuscripts, books, articles, personal writings and items, and photographs. They primarily document Low's career in the Navy from the years 1915-1956, but also touch on his civilian and family life. A large portion of the collection refers to Low's involvement in World War II, particularly his time serving with Admiral King.
The manuscript of Low's autobiography (including family trees and a brief family history), as well as the order and scrap book contain the most in depth information regarding his Naval career. Together they provide a firsthand account of his service experiences along with a near complete chronology of his orders and career. Also found in the order and scrap book are newspaper clippings corresponding to events detailed in his autobiography, correspondence, and personal writings ranging from passages of books and poems to at-sea liquor recipes.
After Low's death, his wife took custody of the papers, at which point some newspaper clippings were added to the collection.
Material in this collection is in the public domain, unless otherwise noted.
Access is open to all researchers, unless otherwise specified.
Author, "Title," Page or Date. Francis S. Low papers, MSC 360, Box number, Folder number. Naval Historical Collection, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
This collection is arranged alphabetically by document type, and then chronologically when applicable.
Purchased from Tavistock Books, Alameda, CA, in October 2018.
This collections was processed and arranged by Willa Anderson in Oct 2018 according to current archival standards. As the collection was purchased from a third party, with little or no information regarding original order. Photographs were removed from original backings and placed in Mylar sleeves.
At the time of his death, his wife became the custodian of the papers, and what happened to them after that is unknown.
No accruals are expected.
Guest lectures, RG 15, Naval Historical Collection, U.S. Naval War College, Newport, R.I.
January 1965 Navy: The Magazine of Sea Power, and copies of USNI Proceedings were removed during processing. These materials can be found in the Naval Historical Collection.