Beatty, Frank Edmond, RADM

Upon attaining flag rank in the spring of 1912, Beatty became a fleet division commander. Rear Admiral Beatty commanded a succession of Atlantic Fleet divisions — 4th, 1st, and 3d — in 1913 and 1914.

The outbreak of war in Europe in the summer of 1914 found him in command of Division 3, with his flag on USS Virginia (BB-13). Detached from that duty in December 1914, he took up new duties as Commandant of the Norfolk Navy Yard and of the Norfolk Naval Station on 4 January 1915. Temporary duty in command of forces engaged in a war game in the spring of 1915 interrupted his tour in Norfolk; but, he soon returned to his duties there and carried them out until June 1916.

Reporting to the Chief of Naval Operations for "temporary duty in connection with naval districts" in October 1916, Beatty served briefly as the Commandant, 5th Naval District, before being switched to the 6th Naval District, at Charleston, South Carolina, in February 1917. He served in that post for the rest of World War I and into 1919.

Detached from all active duty in September 1919, he retired on 6 October 1919. Rear Admiral Beatty lived in Washington, D.C. after retirement, but died in Charleston on 16 March 1926 at the home of his daughter and son-in-law.

Two ships have been named USS Beatty in honor of him:

• USS Beatty (DD-640), a Gleaves-class destroyer which served from 1942 until she was torpedoed off Algeria by German planes in 1943.


• USS Beatty (DD-756), an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer which served from 1945 until 1972.