Presley Marion Rixey

Admiral Presley Marion Rixey (14 July 1852, Culpeper, Virginia – 17 June 1928) was a Surgeon General of the United States Navy (1902–10) and personal physician to Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

Biography

The older brother of John Franklin Rixey, [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B02E5DF1530E733A25751C2A9679C946397D6CF Dr. Presley M. Rixey, President McKinley's Physician, Appointed] ] Rixey earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia in 1873. On 25 April 1877, he married Earlena J. English, daughter of Rear Admiral Earl English, United States Navy.

He was commissioned Assistant Surgeon in the Navy on 28 January 1874. He served on the USS "Sabine", the USS "Congress", the USS "Tallapoosa" (1879–82), the USS "Lancaster" (1884–87), the USS "Dolphin" (1893–96), and the USS "Solace". [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=4iIZx9QohXIC&pg=PA258&dq=%22surgeon+general+presley+marion+rixey+united+states+navy%22#PPA261,M1 Biographical Sketches of Distingushed Officers of the Army and Navy] ]

He received the Order of Naval Merit from King Alphonso XIII of Spain for assistance he gave to the crew of the replica of the "Santa Maria" after that vessel suffered an explosion in New York Harbor on May 26, 1893, on its way to the World's Columbian Exposition. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9904E6DD103BEF33A25754C2A9639C94629ED7CF Explosion on a Caravel: A Lieutenant and a Sailor Hurt—The Infanta Had Just Gone.] , "The New York Times", May 27, 1893.] [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=7OULAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA1249&lpg=RA1-PA1249&dq=%22santa+maria%22+1893+%22new+york%22+explosion&source=web&ots=CdisCWb1cr&sig=HhAJ4k_kNb-_CMQc_pJyJFwSdo8#PRA1-PA1249,M1 Who's Who in America] ] He attended President McKinley after he was shot in Buffalo, New York, in 1901.

He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy

*Rixey's estate in Arlington, Virginia, became the campus of Marymount University, and his home was renamed [http://www.marymount.edu/map/locations/mainhouse/ Main House] .
*The USS "Rixey" (APH-3) is named for him.
*The [http://www.geocities.com/pem20165/Rixeystation.html Rixey station] on the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad was built for his estate.

Further reading

*cite book | author= Braisted, William C. and Bell, William H. | title=The Life Story of Presley Marion Rixey, Surgeon General US Navy 1902 to 1910 | year=2004 |publisher=Kessinger Publishing | id=ISBN 0-926984-00-4

References

External links

* [http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pmrixey.htm Record] at Arlington National Cemetery
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/r7/rixey.htm Bio] at Navy History
* [http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/z_x25rixey_article_g.htm "Guarding the Health of Our Presidents"] , by Presley Marion Rixey, M.D.
* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0729748/ Presley M. Rixey] at Internet Movie Database