Admiral John Henry Towers
• • •
Admiral John Henry Towers, born and reared in Rome, Georgia, is considered to be the Father
of Naval Aviation and the Father of the Aircraft Carrier. In 1919 he conceived, organized and
commanded the first light of three Navy NC airplane boats, "float boats", or seaplanes, to
to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, fulfilling his vision to be part of the first flight across the
Atlantic.
John Towers graduated from Rome Upper School in 1900, attended the US Naval Academy, graduating
in the class of 1906. As one of the earliest of all Naval Aviators, Towers participated in the
development of new aviation technology and the application of this air power as part of the
surface fleet. By the time World War II was over, Admiral Towers was the senior surviving aviator
in the Navy.
In every chapter of early development of Naval Aviation John Towers was there. He organized the
Navy's entry into aviation in 1911, worked very closely with Glenn Curtiss in designing the first
Naval aircraft, became known to his peers as the Crown Prince of Aviation, was recognized as the
foremost authority on aviation for the Navy, and was always called upon to speak to congressional
committees by high command due to his knowledge of aviation and his candidness.
During this early time Towers held many aviation records for endurance, altitude, and speed. He
survived a fall out of an airplane in 1913, by hanging onto the aircraft strut as it crashed into
the Severn River in Maryland from 1300 feet. His pilot-in-training, Ensign William Billingsly, was
killed and became the first naval aviation fatality. As a result Towers mandated seat belts and
harnesses in all naval aircraft after the crash. He also took the Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, future president of the United States, for his first airplane ride.
This secured a friendship that lasted through both of their careers.
In 1914, Towers created NAS Pensacola in an abandoned Naval yard as the headquarters of Naval
Aviation Training, because of the better weather conditions than those at the Severn River location at
Annapolis, Maryland.
Towers was one of the very first to recognize that the flattop ship could carry airplanes as an offensive
weapon. He recognized the battleship concept of fighting would soon be obsolete and pushed the carrier
concept against all odds of the old Navy. In 1921 he began training Navy pilots in Pensacola,
anticipating the future aircraft carrier. He had to fight the old Navy his whole career. This became
known as the black shoes (battleship officers) vs. the brown shoes (aviation officers). His career was
a dogged battle to win acceptance for aviation from the Navy during most of his years of service,
which were dominated by battleship admirals.
Between the wars, John Towers, career paralled the growing strength of Naval Aviation, and he became
the first Naval Aviator to achieve flag rank as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1939.
In the 1920s Towers worked very closely with RADM William Moffett to push for Naval Aviation against
the resistance of the black shoes. Towers did not have the rank so he and Moffett made a very good team
promoting the Navy's integration of aviation into a battleship Navy. Towers had the knowledge and
Moffett the rank.
In the aviation-training program, which he started during his tenure at the Bureau of Aeronautics,
personnel assigned to Navy & Marine Aviation reached approximately three-quarters of a million.
Locally he was responsible for creating the Naval Training facilities at what is now Peachtree-DeKalb
Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. He believed very strongly in college-educated air officers and he started the
aviation officer training programs at universities and colleges around the country.
Towers worked concurrently with General Henry "Hap" Arnold, his counterpart at the Army Air Corps,
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to supply airplanes for Europe through the Lend
Lease Act at the beginning of World War II, at the same time meeting the goals of our build up for WW2.
This was a quasi-joint chief of staff committee.
• 1941 Towers was on the cover of Time Magazine recognizing his status and contributions to the war
effort.
Insistence on leading a combat command resulted in his appointment as Commander Naval Air Forces Pacific
Fleet where he directed the expansion of the carrier forces and led the air arm of the largest fleet ever
assembled in history. His contributions were, in large measure, responsible for the victory in the Pacific.
On December 1, 1947, after 45 years of service to his country, Admiral John H. Towers retired from active
service.
Admiral Towers died in 1955 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
• • •
Admiral John Henry Towers, born and reared in Rome, Georgia, is considered to be the Father
of Naval Aviation and the Father of the Aircraft Carrier. In 1919 he conceived, organized and
commanded the first light of three Navy NC airplane boats, "float boats", or seaplanes, to
to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, fulfilling his vision to be part of the first flight across the
Atlantic.
John Towers graduated from Rome Upper School in 1900, attended the US Naval Academy, graduating
in the class of 1906. As one of the earliest of all Naval Aviators, Towers participated in the
development of new aviation technology and the application of this air power as part of the
surface fleet. By the time World War II was over, Admiral Towers was the senior surviving aviator
in the Navy.
In every chapter of early development of Naval Aviation John Towers was there. He organized the
Navy's entry into aviation in 1911, worked very closely with Glenn Curtiss in designing the first
Naval aircraft, became known to his peers as the Crown Prince of Aviation, was recognized as the
foremost authority on aviation for the Navy, and was always called upon to speak to congressional
committees by high command due to his knowledge of aviation and his candidness.
During this early time Towers held many aviation records for endurance, altitude, and speed. He
survived a fall out of an airplane in 1913, by hanging onto the aircraft strut as it crashed into
the Severn River in Maryland from 1300 feet. His pilot-in-training, Ensign William Billingsly, was
killed and became the first naval aviation fatality. As a result Towers mandated seat belts and
harnesses in all naval aircraft after the crash. He also took the Assistant Secretary of the Navy,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, future president of the United States, for his first airplane ride.
This secured a friendship that lasted through both of their careers.
In 1914, Towers created NAS Pensacola in an abandoned Naval yard as the headquarters of Naval
Aviation Training, because of the better weather conditions than those at the Severn River location at
Annapolis, Maryland.
Towers was one of the very first to recognize that the flattop ship could carry airplanes as an offensive
weapon. He recognized the battleship concept of fighting would soon be obsolete and pushed the carrier
concept against all odds of the old Navy. In 1921 he began training Navy pilots in Pensacola,
anticipating the future aircraft carrier. He had to fight the old Navy his whole career. This became
known as the black shoes (battleship officers) vs. the brown shoes (aviation officers). His career was
a dogged battle to win acceptance for aviation from the Navy during most of his years of service,
which were dominated by battleship admirals.
Between the wars, John Towers, career paralled the growing strength of Naval Aviation, and he became
the first Naval Aviator to achieve flag rank as Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1939.
In the 1920s Towers worked very closely with RADM William Moffett to push for Naval Aviation against
the resistance of the black shoes. Towers did not have the rank so he and Moffett made a very good team
promoting the Navy's integration of aviation into a battleship Navy. Towers had the knowledge and
Moffett the rank.
• 1925 - Towers was instrumental in writing the Morrow Report which made it mandatory that the
Navy had to have at least one aviation officer in the high command of all aircraft carriers. This report
also was very famous in the court martial of General Billy Mitchell, the outspoken proponent of combining
all the military aviation under one branch. Later it became mandatory that the CO of a carrier had to be
an aviator.
• 1932 - Towers conceived, organized and commanded with Admiral Yarnell fleet exercise a surprise
sneak attack on Pearl Harbor early one Sunday morning, by launching airplanes before sunrise in that was
the open ocean. This mock attack was observed by the Japanese and duplicated ten years late on December
7, 1941.
• 1938 - Towers was appointed Head of the Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) by President FDR with the
billet carrying a Rear Admiral rank. The next three years he personally oversaw the buildup of Naval
Aviation from 2,000 airplanes to 39,000 airplanes.
Navy had to have at least one aviation officer in the high command of all aircraft carriers. This report
also was very famous in the court martial of General Billy Mitchell, the outspoken proponent of combining
all the military aviation under one branch. Later it became mandatory that the CO of a carrier had to be
an aviator.
• 1932 - Towers conceived, organized and commanded with Admiral Yarnell fleet exercise a surprise
sneak attack on Pearl Harbor early one Sunday morning, by launching airplanes before sunrise in that was
the open ocean. This mock attack was observed by the Japanese and duplicated ten years late on December
7, 1941.
• 1938 - Towers was appointed Head of the Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) by President FDR with the
billet carrying a Rear Admiral rank. The next three years he personally oversaw the buildup of Naval
Aviation from 2,000 airplanes to 39,000 airplanes.
In the aviation-training program, which he started during his tenure at the Bureau of Aeronautics,
personnel assigned to Navy & Marine Aviation reached approximately three-quarters of a million.
Locally he was responsible for creating the Naval Training facilities at what is now Peachtree-DeKalb
Airport in Atlanta, Georgia. He believed very strongly in college-educated air officers and he started the
aviation officer training programs at universities and colleges around the country.
Towers worked concurrently with General Henry "Hap" Arnold, his counterpart at the Army Air Corps,
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill to supply airplanes for Europe through the Lend
Lease Act at the beginning of World War II, at the same time meeting the goals of our build up for WW2.
This was a quasi-joint chief of staff committee.
• 1941 Towers was on the cover of Time Magazine recognizing his status and contributions to the war
effort.
Insistence on leading a combat command resulted in his appointment as Commander Naval Air Forces Pacific
Fleet where he directed the expansion of the carrier forces and led the air arm of the largest fleet ever
assembled in history. His contributions were, in large measure, responsible for the victory in the Pacific.
On December 1, 1947, after 45 years of service to his country, Admiral John H. Towers retired from active
service.
Admiral Towers died in 1955 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.