Oscar H. Dodson

Oscar H. Dodson
Born	1905
Died	1996
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1927–1957
Rank	Rear Admiral
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Silver Star

Oscar H. Dodson (1905 — 1996) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, who served during World War II. After retiring from the Navy, Dodson became a professor of history, and was a noted numismatist.

Naval career

Dodson graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1927, going on to serve with the Navy in China, Japan, Philippines, and Malaya, and for two years was Chief of Staff in the Navy Section, U.S Military Aid Group in Greece.^[1]

During World War II, he participated in 13 major Pacific engagements, including the battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, Guadalcanal, and Philippine Sea. Dodson served as a communications officer on the USS Hornet (CV-8), which launched the famous Doolittle Raid, and was on the Hornet when the carrier was sunk at Santa Cruz.^[1]

Admiral Dodson was awarded the Silver Star, in addition to three Presidential Unit Citations. He retired from Naval service in 1957.^[1]

Academic career

After World War II Dodson was appointed Assistant Professor of History at the University of Illinois.^[1]

A numismatist most of his life, Dodson served as president of the American Numismatic Association from 1957 to 1961 and was responsible for bridging the transition between "traditional numismatics" and the then-new investment market.^[2] In the Centennial History of the American Numismatic Association, author Q. David Bowers wrote, "More than any other ANA president since August G. Heaton . . . Oscar Dodson was a philosopher."^[2]

He joined the ANA in 1933, and became life member number 78 in 1950 - the same year he received the ANA Medal of Merit.^[2] He served on the U.S. Assay Commission in 1948 and the Hobbies Committee of the U.S. State Department's "People-to-People" program.^[2]

In 1962 he authored the book Money Tells the Story, and he served as a contributing editor to COINage magazine from 1973 to 1987.^[2]

Two years after retiring from the Navy, he established The Money Museum at the National Bank of Detroit, serving as its director for six years. He also was honorary assistant curator of the ANA Money Museum. Through his generosity, many important ancient Greek coins and other items were donated to the Association. Oscar Dodson received the Association's highest honor, the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award, in 1968, and the ANA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "League to Hear Admiral Dodson". Grosse Point News: p.9. 19 May 1960. http://digitize.gp.lib.mi.us/digitize/newspapers/gpnews/1960-64/60/1960-05-19.pdf. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "ANA - Press Release Hall of Fame August 12, 2000". money.org. http://www.money.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=1309. Retrieved 9 August 2010. 

Persondata
Name	Dodson, Oscar H.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1905
Place of birth
Date of death	1996
Place of death