Ralph Hungerford

Who was Ralph Hungerford?

Ralph Waldo Hungerford was a United States Navy Captain, and the 33rd Governor of American Samoa from January 27, 1945 to September 3, 1945. He was born April 21, 1896 in Windsor, New York, but moved to Rhode Island later in life. He received appointment to the United States Naval Academy on June 17, 1915. During World War II, he served on the staff of Rear Admiral Adolphus Andrews in defense of the East Coast of the United States; he specialized in antisubmarine warfare. Hungerford became governor on January 27, 1945, and faced the daunting task of restoring the island to a pre-Pacific War economy. He died in 1977 in Pennsylvania.