George von Lengerke Meyer

Infobox US Cabinet official
name=George von Lengerke Meyer

---

order=43rd
title=United States Postmaster General
term_start=January 15, 1907
term_end=March 4, 1909
predecessor=George B. Cortelyou
successor=Frank H. Hitchcock
order2=40th
title2=United States Secretary of the Navy
term_start2=March 6, 1909
term_end2=March 4, 1913
predecessor2=Truman H. Newberry
successor2=Josephus Daniels
birth_date=birth date|1858|6|24|mf=y
birth_place=Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
death_date=death date and age|1918|3|9|1858|6|24
death_place=Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
party=Republican
spouse=
profession=Politician
religion=

George von Lengerke Meyer (June 24, 1858 – March 9, 1918) was a Massachusetts businessman and politician who served as United States Postmaster General from 1907 to 1909 during the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1909 to 1913 during the administration of President William Howard Taft.

A native of Boston, Meyer held positions in state and local government while also managing his business affairs. While in the Massachusetts Legislature, he served as Speaker of the House. Republican Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt appointed Meyer to ambassadorships in Italy (1900-1905) and Russia (1905-1907).

Meyer also served as Roosevelt's Postmaster General, from 1907-1909, where he directed the introduction of the first stamp vending machines of the country and the first coil stamps necessarycite journal| last =Lawrence| first =Ken| authorlink =| coauthors =| title =Celebrate the centennial of U.S. coil stamps| journal =Scott Stamp Monthly| volume =26| issue =6| pages =18–24| date =June 2008| url =| doi =| id =| accessdate = ] .

Upon taking office in March 1909, President Taft appointed Meyer to the position of Secretary of the Navy, a post which Meyer held throughout Taft's term. During this period, the Navy made its first experiments with aviation. In separate tests in 1910 and 1911, civilian pilot Eugene Ely proved the feasibility of carrier-based aviation, by taking off from and landing on a Navy warship.

Meyer retired from national politics in 1913, after Taft left office. He returned to Massachustts and died in Boston on March 9, 1918.

The Navy destroyer USS "Meyer" (DD-279), named in his honor, was commissioned December 17, 1919 and was in service until May 15, 1929.

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=16418630 George von Lengerke Meyer] at Find A Grave

Notes and references