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'''Louis A. Kaiser''' (1870 – August 12, 1939) was a [[Captain (United States O-6)|Captain]] in the [[United States Navy]], as well as briefly in charge of the government on [[Guam]]. He was a pioneer in the Navy on the use of [[wireless telegraphy]], prior to [[World War I]].

==Early career==
Kaiser was born in [[Kirkwood, Illinois]]. He graduated from the [[United States Naval Academy]] in 1889 and was commissioned an [[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]] in 1891. His first assignment was [[USS Chicago (1885)|USS ''Chicago'']]. In 1894, he was transferred to [[USS Detroit (C-10)|USS ''Detroit'']], and again to [[USS Michigan (1843)|USS ''Michigan'']], two years later. In 1896, he was reassigned to [[USS Concord (PG-3)|USS ''Concord'']].

In the [[Spanish–American War]], he continued to serve on ''Concord'', and he fought in the [[Battle of Manila Bay]]. In December 1898, he was promoted to [[Lieutenant, junior grade]]. In 1899, he was briefly made in charge of the government of [[Guam]], in preparation for the arrival of Governor [[Richard Phillips Leary]]. In 1900, he was transferred to {{USS|Solace|AH-2}}, then again to a post in [[Newport News, Virginia]].

==Bureau of Equipment==
In 1904, he was transferred again to the [[Bureau of Equipment]]. In this role, Kaiser was a pioneer in early wireless transmissions and conducted many of the early tests of wireless telegraphy. In 1905, he demonstrated an 1,100+ mile range while testing it aboard the [[USS Brooklyn (CA-3)|USS ''Brooklyn'']]. In July 1905, he was promoted to a full [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander]] and invited to speak on these innovations to the Washington Society of Engineers in [[Washington, DC]]. In 1910, he was transferred to the [[Bureau of Steam Engineering]].

In 1912, he was given his first command, the cruiser [[USS Montgomery (C-9)|USS ''Montgomery'']]. The following year, he was given command of the [[USS Tennessee (ACR-10)|USS ''Tennessee'']] before being promoted to a full [[Commander (United States)|commander]]. He served in the Boston Naval Yard and [[Naval War College]] in [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]], Rhode Island in 1915, before returning to the command of the battleship [[USS New Jersey (BB-16)|USS ''New Jersey'']] and receiving a promotion to [[Captain (United States O-6)|captain]].

==Later career==
In the 1920s, Kaiser was assigned to the [[hydrography|hydrographic]] office in [[Galveston, Texas]]. In 1923, he was briefly the acting-[[commandant]] of the [[8th Naval District]] before being assigned to the New York hydrographic office. He retired April 1, 1925.

He died on August 12, 1939, and is buried in [[Arlington National Cemetery]].

==References==
*"Late Naval Orders." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Aug 14, 1891. pg. 8, 1 pgs
*"THE UNITED SERVICE." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Aug 21, 1894. pg. 8, 1 pgs
*"THE UNITED SERVICE." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Nov 21, 1896. pg. 6, 1 pgs
*"President Makes Nominations." ''The Atlanta Constitution''. Atlanta, Ga.: Mar 30, 1898. pg. 3, 1 pgs
*"Admiral Bunce Retires To-morrow." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Dec 24, 1898. pg. 2, 1 pgs
*"Progress of the Governor of Guam." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Aug 2, 1899. pg. 4, 1 pgs
*"Lieut. Gillmore on His Way Home." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Feb 28, 1900. pg. 3, 1 pgs
*"ORDERS TO ARMY OFFICERS." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Nov 12, 1904. pg. 10, 1 pgs
*"WIRELESS 1,100 MILES AT SEA." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Jul 28, 1905. pg. 1, 1 pgs
*"Orders to Naval Officers." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Sep 20, 1905. pg. 4, 1 pgs
*"To Explain Wireless Telegraphy." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Mar 17, 1906. pg. F3, 1 pgs
*"THE UNITED SERVICE." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Apr 12, 1912. pg. 21, 1 pgs
*"THE UNITED SERVICE." ''New York Times''. New York, N.Y.: Jul 4, 1915. pg. S6, 1 pgs
*"UNITED STATES NAVY." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Dec 16, 1923. pg. 42, 1 pgs
*"Capt. L.A. Kaiser Rites Here Today." ''The Washington Post''. Washington, D.C.: Aug 15, 1939. pg. 26, 1 pgs

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{{Governors of Guam}}

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[[Category:1870 births]]
[[Category:1939 deaths]]
[[Category:Governors of Guam]]
[[Category:People from Warren County, Illinois]]
[[Category:United States Navy officers]]
[[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
[[Category:Burials at Arlington National Cemetery]]
[[Category:American electrical engineers]]
[[Category:Engineers from Illinois]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Illinois]]