{{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Harold Alexander Houser | honorific_suffix = | image = | alt = | caption = | office = [[Governor of American Samoa]] | term_start = September 10, 1945 | term_end = April 22, 1947 | lieutenant = | predecessor = [[Samuel Canan]] | successor = [[Vernon Huber]] | birth_date = March 31, 1897 | birth_place = [[Fort Valley, Georgia]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1981|9|3|1897|3|31}} | death_place = [[National Naval Medical Center]] | resting_place = [[United States Naval Academy Cemetery]] | party = | spouse = Vera Allen Houser | alma_mater = [[United States Naval Academy]] | occupation = Naval officer | signature = | signature_alt = <!--Military service--> | nickname = | allegiance = {{flag|United States}} | branch = {{nowrap|[[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|30px|United States Navy Seal]]}} [[United States Navy]] | service_years = | rank = [[File:US-O8 insignia.svg|35px]] [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear admiral]] | unit = | commands = [[Naval Air Station Key West]]<br>Office of Legislative Liaison | battles = | awards = }} '''Harold Alexander Houser''' (March 31, 1897 &ndash; September 3, 1981)<ref name=grave>{{cite web|url=http://www.usna.edu/cemetery/PDF%20Files/Section%207/1616-%20Houser,%20H.%20A.pdf|title=USNA Cemetery Documentation Project|date=Summer 2005|work=United States Naval Academy Cemetery & Crematorium|publisher=[[United States Naval Academy]]|accessdate=4 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602034502/http://www.usna.edu/cemetery/PDF%20Files/Section%207/1616-%20Houser%2C%20H.%20A.pdf|archive-date=2 June 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> was a [[United States Navy]] [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear admiral]], and the [[governor of American Samoa]] from September 10, 1945, to April 22, 1947.

==Biography== [[File:Harold Houser grave.jpg|thumb|left|Houser's grave at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery in [[Annapolis, Maryland]].]] Houser was born in [[Fort Valley, Georgia]] to Emmett and Mary Mathews Houser.<ref name=cal>{{cite web|url=http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf|title=The Samoan Historical Calendar, 1606-2007|last=Sorensen|first=Stan|author2=Joseph Theroux|year=2007|publisher=[[Government of American Samoa]]|pages=78; 244|accessdate=4 May 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325111039/http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf|archivedate=25 March 2009}}</ref> Houser attended the [[Marion Military Institute]], graduating in 1916,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marionmilitary.edu/skins/userfiles/file/MARION%20MILITARY%20INSTITUTE%20ADMIRALS%20AND%20GENERALS%20edited(1).pdf|title=Marion Military Institute Generals and Admirals|publisher=[[Marion Military Institute]]|pages=3|accessdate=4 May 2010|location=[[Marion, Alabama]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929202044/http://www.marionmilitary.edu/skins/userfiles/file/MARION%20MILITARY%20INSTITUTE%20ADMIRALS%20AND%20GENERALS%20edited(1).pdf|archive-date=29 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> before receiving an appointment to the [[United States Naval Academy]] on May 26, 1917. Houser graduated from the United States Naval Academy in the Class of 1921.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://mmiarchivist.blogspot.com/2010/09/radm-harold-houser-16-governor-of.html|title= RADM Harold A. Houser '16: Governor of American Samoa|date= September 2010|publisher= MMI Foundation |accessdate= September 2, 2012}}</ref> During his naval career, he served in numerous posts, including commanding the [[Naval Air Station Key West]] and serving as a gunnery officer aboard the [[USS Omaha (CL-4)|USS ''Omaha'']].

He was married to Vera Allen Houser.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0F02BC1D76973&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Navy Capt. Ernest Hipp, 72, WWII, Vietnam vet Linda Kubany, 44, UMd. football secretary Harvey M. Shields, 44, archaeologist, analyst Vera Allen Houser, 92, widow of rear admiral|date=16 June 1993|work=[[The Washington Times]]|publisher=[[News World Communications]]|accessdate=4 May 2010|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref>

==Naval career== Houser held posts in [[Panama]], [[France]], and [[Key West]] throughout his career.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72155705.html?dids=72155705:72155705&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+15%2C+1993&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Norman+Chaudet+Dies%3B+High+School+Athletic+Director&pqatl=google|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026135219/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72155705.html?dids=72155705:72155705&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jun+15,+1993&author=&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Norman+Chaudet+Dies%3B+High+School+Athletic+Director&pqatl=google|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2012|title=Norman Chaudet Dies; High School Athletic Director|date=15 June 1993|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|pages=C. 09|accessdate=4 May 2010|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> He was appointed to the [[United States Naval Academy]] on May 26, 1917 from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Report of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|year=1920|pages=262|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XDEoAAAAMAAJ&q=%22harold+Alexander+houser%22&pg=RA2-PA262|accessdate=4 May 2010}}</ref> and graduated in 1921.<ref>{{cite news|title=City News|date=18 May 1921|work=[[The Telegraph (Macon)|Macon Telegraph]]|publisher=Anderson|pages=6|location=[[Macon, Georgia]]}}</ref> While a Commander, Houser served as the gunnery officer of the ''[[USS Omaha (CL-4)]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Americans Reach France in Safety|date=27 January 1939|work=[[The New York Times]]|pages=1|location=[[New York City]]}}</ref> As a [[Captain (United States)#U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|Captain]], Houser commanded the [[Naval Air Station Key West]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9DouAAAAIBAJ&pg=2997,3545767&dq=harold-houser&hl=en|title=Commodore Angus Inspects Naval Base|date=9 November 1947|work=[[The Miami News]]|pages=16|accessdate=4 May 2010|location=[[Miami]]}}</ref>

After becoming a [[Rear admiral (United States)|Rear admiral]], Houser served on the staff of the [[United States Secretary of Defense]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cDs0AAAAIBAJ&pg=4572,2567853&dq=harold-houser&hl=en|title=Blood Plasma Sold as Army 'Surplus'|last=Colbert|first=Haines|date=24 December 1942|work=[[The Miami News]]|accessdate=4 May 2010|location=[[Miami]]|page=22}}</ref> Houser served numerous posts in the [[Office of Legislative Affairs (United States Navy)|Office of Legislative Affairs]], including becoming the legislative liaison for the Retired Officers Association.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/09/06/harold-houser-84-dies/da2cf3ad-3755-4aeb-9724-4c2175ecf82a/ |title=Harold Houser, 84, Dies |newspaper=Washington Post |date= |access-date=10 August 2022}}</ref> He became the Director of the Office of Legislative Liaison in 1949.<ref>{{cite book|title=Official Register of the United States|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|year=1959|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lsohAAAAMAAJ/page/n123 111]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lsohAAAAMAAJ|quote=harold A houser.|accessdate=4 May 2010}}</ref>

==Governorship== Houser became [[Governor of American Samoa]] on September 10, 1945.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sorensen|first=Stan|date=19 September 2006|title=Historical Notes|journal=Tapuitea|publisher=[[Government of American Samoa]]|volume=I|issue=24|pages=2|url=http://americansamoa.gov/Tapuitea/Tapuitea60919.pdf|accessdate=4 May 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527140829/http://americansamoa.gov/Tapuitea/Tapuitea60919.pdf|archivedate=27 May 2010}}</ref> While governor, he served as a representative of the [[United States Navy]] at a meeting of the major Pacific powers, including [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Meeting Planned for Pacific Area|date=5 January 1947|work=[[The New York Times]]|pages=32|location=[[New York City]]}}</ref> He ceded the office to [[Vernon Huber]] on April 22, 1947.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americansamoa.gov/governors/captain-vernon-huber|title=Captain Vernon Huber|year=2010|work=Governors|publisher=[[Government of American Samoa]]|accessdate=4 May 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527143444/http://americansamoa.gov/governors/captain-vernon-huber|archivedate=27 May 2010}}</ref>

Houser became a Rear Admiral after leaving the governorship, and served as Director of the Office of Legislative Liaison at the [[Office of Legislative Affairs (United States Navy)|Office of Legislative Affairs]]

==Death== Houser died of natural causes on the day September 3, 1981 at the [[National Naval Medical Center]].<ref name=cal/> He is interred at the [[United States Naval Academy Cemetery]], along with his wife.<ref name=grave/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://mmiarchivist.blogspot.com/2010/09/radm-harold-houser-16-governor-of.html Marion Military Institute Archives] <!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->

{{Governors of American Samoa}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houser, Harold Alexander}} [[Category:1897 births]] [[Category:1981 deaths]] [[Category:Governors of American Samoa]] [[Category:Marion Military Institute alumni]] [[Category:United States Navy admirals]] [[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]] [[Category:People from Fort Valley, Georgia]] [[Category:Burials at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery]]