Matthews, Francis Patrick, 1887-1952

Elbert Thomas (center) is sworn in as Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands by Judge Neilson (right) at the Department of the Navy. Also pictured: Mrs. Elbert Thomas (left); Secretary of the Interior Oscar Chapman (second from left); and Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews (second from right). From: Oscar Chapman Scrapbook

President Harry S. Truman (seated) signs the Guam Organic Act of 1950. Standing, left to right: unidentified; unidentified; Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney, Wyoming; Carlos Taitano, Legislative Representative of Guam; Harold Seidman, Bureau of the Budget; Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews; Senator Clinton P. Anderson, New Mexico; Secretary of the Interior Oscar Chapman; and Senator Hugh Butler, Nebraska. Three men on right are also unidentified. From: Oscar Chapman Scrapbook

President Harry S. Truman (seated) signs the Organic Guam Act of 1950. Pictured, left to right: Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney, Wyoming; Carlos Taitano, Legislative Representative of Guam; Harold Seidman, Bureau of the Budget; Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews; Senator Clinton P. Anderson, New Mexico; Secretary of the Interior Oscar Chapman; and Senator Hugh Butler, Nebraska. All others unidentified. From: Oscar Chapman Scrapbook

President Harry S. Truman at his desk in the Oval Office, signing H.R. 5632, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which converted the National Military Establishment into a new Department of Defense and made other changes in the national security system.

President Harry S. Truman, seated behind his desk, distributes pens he used to sign the National Security Act Amendments bill to assembled on-lookers. From left to right: Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, unidentified, Congressman Dewey Short, Congressman Carl Vinson, Secretary of the Army Gordon Gray, unidentified, Secretary of the Air Force Stuart Symington, Under Secretary of Defense Stephen Early, and Secretary of the Navy Francis Matthews.

President Harry S. Truman is seated at his desk in the Oval Office, signing H.R. 5632, the National Security Act Amendments of 1949, which converted the National Military Establishment into a new Department of Defense and made other changes in the national security system.

President Harry S. Truman is receiving a report from the Committee on Civil Rights from Charles Wilson. Standing, from left to right: Most Reverend Francis J. Haas, Roland B. Gittelsohn, Dr. Sadie T. Alexander, James B. Carey, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., Dorothy Rogers Tilly, Channing H. Tobias, Charles Wilson, Boris Shishkin, Charles Luckman, and Francis P. Matthews.

Left to right, escorted by APG Deputy Commander Colonel M. C. Woodbury (far right) are: Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson, Secretary of the Navy Frances Matthews, Canadian Minister of National Defense Brooke Claxton, Secretary Frank Pace, Senator Homer Ferguson, and Admiral Forest P. Sherman. They are at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. From: The Album, The U. S. Air Force presents Aerial Firepower Demonstration.

Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews appearing before the House Armed Services Committee. The Secretary had asked that the hearings be held in secret, but Rep. Carl E. Vinson (D) GA, refused the request. Later in the hearing Rep. Vinson reversed himself and agreed to hear some of the testimony in secret. From: Beth Gore

Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson (right) administers the oath of office to John F. Floberg as new Assistant Secretary for Air as Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews (left) and Mrs. Floberg look on.