Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle

Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle
Born	(1867-06-14)June 14, 1867 Peekskill, New York
Died	December 29, 1950(1950-12-29) (aged 83)
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1889–1931
Rank	Rear Admiral
Commands held	USS Georgia
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War World War I
Awards	Navy Cross

Sumner Ely Wetmore Kittelle (June 14, 1867 – December 29, 1950) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy and a veteran of the Spanish–American War and World War I. He was also the third military Governor of the United States Virgin Islands. Late in life, he also became an author and published a book on his family's genealogy.

Kittelle was born in Peekskill, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1889. He was awarded the Navy Cross for his service during World War I, as commander of the battleship Georgia of the Atlantic Fleet.^[1] He was promoted to rear admiral in 1921 and made Governor of the Virgin Islands, a position he held only until 1922. Almost immediately on becoming Governor, he sacked the civilian colonial assembly. In 1927, while a commandant of the 16th Naval District, he exposed a plot by "communists" to destroy a shipyard at Cavite. He retired in 1931.

In 1946, Kittelle wrote The Ketel family,: Also (Ketele, Kettele, Kettel, Kittelle and Kittle), a history of his family tree.

References

• The 1899 Membership Register for The Empire State Society, S.A.R.
• "SUMNER KITTELLE, RETIRED ADMIRAL." The New York Times, December 30, 1950. p. 13

Succession

Governors of the U.S. Virgin Islands
	Naval (1917–31)	Pollock Oliver Oman Kittelle Hough Williams Trench W. Evans
	Civil (1931–69)	Pearson Herrick Cramer Lovett Harwood Hastie de Castro Alexander Claunch Gordon Merwin Paiewonsky King
	Elected (since 1969)	M. Evans King Luis Farrelly Schneider Turnbull de Jongh Mapp