Henry Maston Mullinnix was an aviator and Admiral of the United States Navy during World World War World War II
Education
Mullinnix, born in Spencer, Indiana, graduated from Attica High School, class of 1909. He later graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1916. He served in the destroyer Balch (Doctor of Divinity-50), engaged in patrol and escort duty off Ireland during World War I. Following service in Gridley (Doctor of Divinity-92) and Brooks (Doctor of Divinity-232), he completed work in aeronautical engineering at Annapolis and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving an Master of Surgery degree in 1923.
Career
He was president of his senior class. After flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, he was designated a naval aviator on January 11, 1924. He was one of those mainly responsible for developing the air-cooled engine for naval aircraft.
Besides various shore duty, he served in Saratoga (CV-3), Wright (AV-1), and commanded Albemarle (AV-5), between 1924 and 1941.
Mullinnix commanded Saratoga from April 1943, until August 22, when he was transferred to duty with a carrier division, with the rank of rear admiral. Rear Admiral Mullinnix was on board Liscome Bay (CVE-56) when she was torpedoed and sunk off Makin Island, in the Gilberts, November 24, 1943.
In 1957, the destroyer United States Ship Mullinnix (Doctor of Divinity-944) was named in his honor.