SIMS, William Snowden, American vice admiral: b. Port Hope, Canada, 15 Oct. 1858. He was graduated at the United States Naval Academy in 1880, and was promoted through the various grades to captain in 1911, rear admiral 5 Jan. 1917 and vice-admiral 28 May 1917. He served on the North Atlantic, Pacific and China stations, and was naval attaché at the American embassies at Paris and Petro grad in 1897-1900. In 1901-02 he was aide to the commander-in-chief of the Asiatic fleet; in 1902 fleet intelligence officer and inspector of target practice for the Asiatic fleet on board the New York; and in 1908-09 he was naval aide to President Roosevelt. He was com mander of the battleship Minnesota in 1909-11; and in 1911-13 he served on the staff of the Naval War College, Newport R. I. He com manded the Atlantic torpedo flotilla in 1913-15. He was appointed commandant of the naval station at Narragansett bay and presi dent of the Naval War College at Newport in 1916. After his promotion to rear-admiral in 1917 he was commissioned special naval repre sentative and observer to Great Britain. After
the United States declaration of war on Ger many he received command of the United States fleet in European waters, 28 April 1917, his elevation to vice-admiral following on 28 May. He remained in command of the fleet throughout the remainder of the war, and on 23 Feb. 1919, after the withdrawal of the main fleet to home waters was decided upon it was announced by the Navy Department that Vice Admiral Sims would return to his duties as president of the Naval College. Throughout his career his name was connected with the im provement of naval gunnery and the reform of naval construction; and he was known as a naval writer and critic. His conduct of the United States fleet in European waters during the country's participation in the European War received the highest praise at home and abroad, and he was the recipient of many honors, among them the British Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George in 1918, and the British Order of Merit in 1919.