FRANK C. MCCORD, CDR, USN
Frank McCord '11
Lucky Bag
From the 1911 Lucky Bag:
Frank Carey McCord
Vincennes, Indiana
"Alice" "Mac"
ALICE achieved fame Plebe summer through his blushing competitions with "Mac," the competitions being a feature of every meal. A very modest sort of chap and as straight as a die. Known as "Alice of old Vincennes" and until our return from Second Class leave, his continued refusal to be enticed to the hops led us to believe in his attachment to some fair one at home. Fond of relating experiences, the principal draw-back being that he insists on repeating them five or six times. One of the favored ones who can get through on very little boning. Reads novels in study hours and is an inveterate smoker, being particular fond of bull scags. Sick most of First Class Cruise, losing more weight than some of the boys on the "Iowa," which is saying a good deal. Of the sort who hoe their own row, doing much and saying little.
"Blush for us, Mr. McCord."
Frank Carey McCord was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on August 2, 1890. Prior to coming to Annapolis he lived in his native town, spending three years at the High School of that city. His present home address is Vincennes. He was appointed from Indiana.
Frank Carey McCord
Vincennes, Indiana
"Alice" "Mac"
ALICE achieved fame Plebe summer through his blushing competitions with "Mac," the competitions being a feature of every meal. A very modest sort of chap and as straight as a die. Known as "Alice of old Vincennes" and until our return from Second Class leave, his continued refusal to be enticed to the hops led us to believe in his attachment to some fair one at home. Fond of relating experiences, the principal draw-back being that he insists on repeating them five or six times. One of the favored ones who can get through on very little boning. Reads novels in study hours and is an inveterate smoker, being particular fond of bull scags. Sick most of First Class Cruise, losing more weight than some of the boys on the "Iowa," which is saying a good deal. Of the sort who hoe their own row, doing much and saying little.
"Blush for us, Mr. McCord."
Frank Carey McCord was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on August 2, 1890. Prior to coming to Annapolis he lived in his native town, spending three years at the High School of that city. His present home address is Vincennes. He was appointed from Indiana.
Loss
Frank was lost when the airship USS Akron (ZRS 4) crashed off the coast of New Jersey on April 4, 1933. He had been the airship's commanding officer since January 3, 1933; he had served aboard since June 1932.
Other Information
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Frank graduated from Vincennes High School.
In June 1926 he married Margaret Dodge, the daughter of Horace A. Dodge, a D. C. patent attorney.
On April 21, 1927, in Lakehurst, New Jersey, student officers Frank and Lt. Commander Myron Walker (’15) were on the non-rigid naval airship J-3 under the command of Lieut. Thomas G. William Settle (‘19.) Thomas later testified about the Akron disaster in May 1933. At the conclusion, he was asked if he wanted to say anything else. He said, “I would like to serve under Captain McCord on an airship if he were still alive.”
Frank’s father Charles was a Vincennes abstracter. Frank’s brother Drisch worked with his father up until his death.
He was survived by his wife; he has a memory marker in Arlington National Cemetery.
Photographs
From the Daily News on April 5, 1933
Video
Akron's executive officer, LCDR Herbert V. Wiley '15, one of only three survivors, was filmed shortly after the crash:
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.
January 1912
January 1913
January 1914
January 1915
January 1916
January 1917
March 1918
January 1919
January 1920
January 1921
July 1923
September 1923
November 1923
January 1924
March 1924
May 1924
July 1924
September 1924
November 1924
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March 1925
May 1925
July 1925
October 1925
January 1926
October 1926
January 1927
April 1927
October 1927
January 1928
LT James Carney '21 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 1B)
LTjg Charles McDonald '24 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
April 1928
LT George Cuddihy '18 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 3B)
LTjg Charles McDonald '24 (Torpedo and Bombing Plane Squadron (VT) 2B)
July 1928
October 1928
January 1929
April 1929
July 1929
October 1929
January 1930
April 1930
October 1930
January 1931
April 1931
July 1931
October 1931
January 1932
April 1932
October 1932
January 1933
April 1933
Namesake
USS McCord (DD 534) was named for Frank; the ship was sponsored by his widow.
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
