# William Michael Crose

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United States naval officer

William Michael Crose Governor of American Samoa In office November 10, 1910 – March 14, 1913 President William Howard Taft Preceded by John Frederick Parker Succeeded by Nathan Woodworth Post Personal details Born February 9, 1867 Greencastle, Indiana Died April 4, 1929(1929-04-04) (aged 62) San Diego, California Alma mater United States Naval Academy Occupation Naval officer Awards Navy Cross Military service Allegiance United States Branch/service United States Navy Rank Captain Commands USS North Dakota (BB-29) USS Princeton (PG-13)

**William Michael Crose** (February 8, 1867 – April 4, 1929) was a [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) [Captain](/source/Captain_(United_States)#U.S._Navy,_U.S._Coast_Guard,_U.S._Public_Health_Service,_and_National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration) and the seventh [Naval Governor of American Samoa](/source/List_of_governors_of_American_Samoa), from November 10, 1910, to March 14, 1913. He was the first person designated "Governor of [American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa)", rather than the previous "Governor of [Tutuila](/source/Tutuila)".[1]

## Life and career

### Early life

Crose was born in [Greencastle, Indiana](/source/Greencastle%2C_Indiana), on February 8, 1867.[2] He was appointed to the [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) on May 19, 1884, and graduated in 1888.[3]

### Naval career

The [United States Department of the Navy](/source/United_States_Department_of_the_Navy) awarded Crose the [Navy Cross](/source/Navy_Cross_(United_States)) for "exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as Commanding Officer of the [U.S.S. NORTH DAKOTA](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S.S._NORTH_DAKOTA&action=edit&redlink=1) in the Atlantic Fleet, during [World War I](/source/World_War_I)."[4] On July 1, 1890, Crose was commissioned into the United States Navy as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)#United_States). On May 10, 1898, he became a [lieutenant (junior grade)](/source/Lieutenant_(junior_grade)), and a [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant#Naval_rank) on March 3, 1898. He was stationed on [USS *Galena*](/source/USS_Galena_(1880)) in 1888, [USS *Marion*](/source/USS_Marion) in 1890, the Naval [Hydrographic office](/source/Hydrographic_office) in 1894, [USS *Pinta*](/source/USS_Pinta) in 1895, [USS *Wheeling*](/source/USS_Wheeling_(PG-14)) the same year, the [Bureau of Equipment](/source/United_States_Navy_bureau_system) in 1898, and [USS *Kentucky*](/source/USS_Kentucky_(BB-6)) in 1900.[3]

## Governorship

On November 10, 1910, Crose relieved [Captain](/source/Captain_(United_States)#US_Navy,_US_Coast_Guard,_US_Public_Health_Service,_and_National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration) [John Frederick Parker](/source/John_Frederick_Parker_(Navy)) of command of [United States Naval Station Tutuila](/source/United_States_Naval_Station_Tutuila), becoming the seventh Naval Governor of American Samoa.[2] While Governor, Crose appointed a board of education, composed of a naval chaplain, a naval assistant surgeon, and the wife of a local school teacher.[2] He also pushed for the renaming of the island Naval Post, claiming the name Tutuila was inadequate, as the territory contained additional islands other than Tutuila, and recommending a new name of either "American Samoa" or "Eastern Samoa", a wish he expressed to the [Secretary of the Navy](/source/Secretary_of_the_Navy) in a 1911 letter. On July 17, 1911, the island was officially designated "[American Samoa](/source/American_Samoa)", and President of the United States [William Howard Taft](/source/William_Howard_Taft) recommissioned Crose as "Governor of American Samoa", rather than "Governor of Tutuila" on October 24, 1912.[2]

In 1910, approximately nine miles of new roads were constructed in Tutuila and eight and a half miles of existing roads were repaired. Several bridges were reinforced using Australian hardwood, and dynamite was employed to blast passages through coral reefs, transforming the island's traditional boat routes. Despite these efforts, U.S. Navy officials remained dissatisfied with the overall pace of infrastructure development. In 1911, Crose remarked that “there are no roads in Tutuila which would be dignified by that name in the United States,” attributing this situation to Samoans’ reluctance to engage in road construction without full compensation. In response, Crose instituted measures in October 1911 requiring Samoan villages to supply labor for road projects. For roads deemed to have “public utility,” the naval administration agreed to cover half of the labor costs and to provide materials for blasting and bridge building. In cases where roads were considered to have only “local importance,” the government offered construction materials alone. Samoans who refused to participate in such projects could be fined at double the daily wage for each day of noncompliance or face four days of imprisonment. As incarcerated individuals could be legally compelled to work, this policy effectively introduced a system of [forced labor](/source/Forced_labor).[5]

Crose also amended laws on firearms, [perjury](/source/Perjury), road maintenance, and importation of animals. On March 14, 1913, Crose transferred command to [Nathan Woodworth Post](/source/Nathan_Woodworth_Post).[2]

## Post-governorship

Crose died in San Diego on April 4, 1929, and was buried at sea.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Government of American Samoa (2008), 2.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AS_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AS_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-AS_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-AS_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-AS_2-4) Government of American Samoa (2009).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hamersly_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hamersly_3-1) Hamersly (1902), 307.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Military Times (2009).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Droessler, Holger (2022). *Coconut Colonialism: Workers and the Globalization of Samoa*. [Harvard University Press](/source/Harvard_University_Press). Pages 148-149. ISBN 9780674263338.

## References

- ["Commander William Michael Crose: November 10, 1910 – March 14, 1913"](http://americansamoa.gov/governors/crose.htm). [Government of American Samoa](/source/Politics_of_American_Samoa#Government). 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.

- Hamersly, Lewis Randolph (1902). [*The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps: With a History of Naval Operations During the Rebellion of 1861–5, and a List of the Ships and Officers Participating in the Great Battles*](https://books.google.com/books?id=qv1BAAAAYAAJ&q=%22William+Michael+Crose%22&pg=PA307). J.M. Carroll. Retrieved October 4, 2009.

- ["Historical Notes"](http://www.americansamoa.gov/tap08/Tapuitea080222.pdf) (PDF). *Tapuitea: Official American Samoa Government Weekly Newsletter*. **III** (8). [Government of American Samoa](/source/Politics_of_American_Samoa#Government). February 22, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2009.

- ["William Crose"](http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=9303). *Military times*. [Army Times Publishing Company](/source/Army_Times_Publishing_Company). 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.

v t e Governors of American Samoa Commandant (1900–1905) Tilley Sebree Minett Underwood Naval (1905–1951) Moore Parker Crose Post Stearns Post Woodruff Poyer Terhune Evans Pollock Kellogg Bryan Graham Lincoln Spore Emerson Lincoln Landenberger Latimore Dowling Fitzpatrick Milne Hanson Wallace Wild Larsen (alongside Wild) Moyer Hobbs Hungerford Canan Houser Huber Darden Civil (1951–1978) Phelps Elliott Ewing Judd Lowe Coleman Lee Aspinall Haydon Mockler Ruth Barnett Lee Elected (since 1978) Coleman Lutali Coleman Lutali Sunia Tulafono Moliga Mauga Pula

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND WorldCat National United States Other SNAC

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