AUGUSTUS J. SELMAN, LT, USN
Augustus Selman '16
Lucky Bag
From the 1916 Lucky Bag:
Augustus James Selman
Monroe, Louisiana
"Jack" "Demon" "Devil" "Gus" "Simp"
ONE of the active rough-housers of the Sixth Company, being a notable member of Mick Carney's bunch of thugs. Acquired the filthy habit after four months, or thereabouts, as a faithful worker on the Swedish Dancing Team, which period of work (about the only heavy work he has ever done) proved sufficient to start him off on his wild career of bringing terror to the mess hall in general and the staff table in particular. Was also, for a while, one of the gang known as Dague's Matrimonial Agency, or The Seminary Girls' Delights, but after three or four plunges into the Great Unknown, he quit the club and left his chances to Caspar.
Gus is an actor, no one doubts that for an instant, and even if they do, his successes in the Masquerader casts or choruses are complete vindications of his efforts. He has entertained us often, and there is never a dull moment during a scene when he is on the stage.
A plugger at class athletics—lack of size is the only thing that stands in the way of his having made good in several branches.
Besides being an actor, Gus also possesses the qualities of a Belasco, and of late has become a producer of no mean ability. His Town Topics, the night of the Christmas Carnival in Smoke Hall, surpassed any show of its kind since carnivals were instituted. The local hits that were presented to the public on that particular occasion will long be remembered.
Our first trip upon the briny deep brought sufferings severe to Jack. He found the forward gallery his constant hanging-out place until the waves subsided, and even then he walked about with none too much confidence in his pins. As soon as he adapts himself to all forms of wind and weather, Jack will be an officer worth his salt, for he has just that required bit of ambition and earnestness in his makeup to make things go the right way as soon as he decides to push them along ahead of him.
Buzzard; Class Baseball Numerals; Masqueraders (3, 2).
Augustus James Selman
Monroe, Louisiana
"Jack" "Demon" "Devil" "Gus" "Simp"
ONE of the active rough-housers of the Sixth Company, being a notable member of Mick Carney's bunch of thugs. Acquired the filthy habit after four months, or thereabouts, as a faithful worker on the Swedish Dancing Team, which period of work (about the only heavy work he has ever done) proved sufficient to start him off on his wild career of bringing terror to the mess hall in general and the staff table in particular. Was also, for a while, one of the gang known as Dague's Matrimonial Agency, or The Seminary Girls' Delights, but after three or four plunges into the Great Unknown, he quit the club and left his chances to Caspar.
Gus is an actor, no one doubts that for an instant, and even if they do, his successes in the Masquerader casts or choruses are complete vindications of his efforts. He has entertained us often, and there is never a dull moment during a scene when he is on the stage.
A plugger at class athletics—lack of size is the only thing that stands in the way of his having made good in several branches.
Besides being an actor, Gus also possesses the qualities of a Belasco, and of late has become a producer of no mean ability. His Town Topics, the night of the Christmas Carnival in Smoke Hall, surpassed any show of its kind since carnivals were instituted. The local hits that were presented to the public on that particular occasion will long be remembered.
Our first trip upon the briny deep brought sufferings severe to Jack. He found the forward gallery his constant hanging-out place until the waves subsided, and even then he walked about with none too much confidence in his pins. As soon as he adapts himself to all forms of wind and weather, Jack will be an officer worth his salt, for he has just that required bit of ambition and earnestness in his makeup to make things go the right way as soon as he decides to push them along ahead of him.
Buzzard; Class Baseball Numerals; Masqueraders (3, 2).
Loss
Augustus was lost on November 28, 1921 "of injuries received in an airplane crash in the line of duty" at naval air base Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Augustus had perfect attendance at Monroe High School for the school year 1909-1910.
On April 29, 1920, he married Hortense Valette Hodges in Norfolk. They attended the army vs. navy game in New York City on November 27. Their daughter Augusta Hodges was born March 26, 1922, in Baltimore.
He had recently returned from Washington where he gave the Naval Department his aviation invention. He was noted to have invented several appliances that were used by the U. S. Government.
A friend invited him to take a ride in the plane. He was leaning forward from the rear seat to aid the pilot with his rudder. When the impact came, it forced him against the edge of his stiff leather belt causing the fatal internal injuries.
Since a young boy, he was an acolyte in his church. His brother George became a major general in the Army tank corps. Their great grandfathers and grandfathers on both sides helped develop Monroe and Ouachita parishes.
He was survived by his wife, who gave birth to a daughter in the first part of 1922. He was also survived by his father and brother. Augustus is buried in Virginia.
Photographs
From the 1916 Lucky Bag
Namesake
Selman Army Airfield near Monroe, Alabama, was named for Augustus.
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
March 1918
January 1919
January 1920
January 1921
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
