Background
Thomas was born on August 12, 1857 in Peekskill, New York, United States. He was son of Dr. Thomas Snowden and Catherine Clinton (Wood) Snowden.
Thomas was born on August 12, 1857 in Peekskill, New York, United States. He was son of Dr. Thomas Snowden and Catherine Clinton (Wood) Snowden.
He was appointed to the United States Naval Academy in 1875 and was graduated in 1879. Later, he attended Naval War College for a year.
After five years spent in sea duty on the Atlantic, in 1884 Snowden was ordered to the hydrographic office and in 1889 to the naval observatory. Commissioned junior lieutenant in 1892, he was assigned to the Ranger and spent over two years in coast survey work with her off the coast of Alaska.
During the Spanish-American War he served on the cruiser Dolphin in the squadron under Admiral William Thomas Sampson, taking part in the bombardment of Santiago, June 6, 1898, and in the action near Caimanera, June 14.
He was navigator of the battleship Illinois for three years, commanded the presidential yacht Mayflower from 1908 to 1910, and the battleship South Carolina in the Atlantic Fleet from 1911 to 1913. In this ship he was at Tampico and Vera Cruz for six months during the early disturbances under the Huerta regime in Mexico. After the Naval War College, he commanded the battleship Wyoming.
When the United States entered the World War he was acting as hydrographer to the Navy Department; promoted to rear admiral July 1, 1917, he commanded a squadron of the battleship force of the Atlantic Fleet throughout the war.
Soon after the armistice he was made military governor of Santo Domingo. Ill health, however, forced him to relinquish his post in 1921, when he returned to the United States.
He was retired on August 12, 1921, and relieved of all active duty. He died on January 27, 1930.
He was a highly capable seaman, an expert navigator, and an able administrator, and was highly popular throughout the service.
Quotes from others about the person
According to Times, "No official ever served his country with greater fidelity, or an alien people with a more lofty purpose than Admiral Snowden gave to the Dominicans".
He was twice married: first on June 2, 1881, to Adelaide Van Ness Smith of Peekskill, New York, and second on January 14, 1911, to Helen Koerper of Washington, daughter of Col. E. A. Koerper. He had one son by his second marriage.