Scope and Content Note
The papers of Thomas Oliver Selfridge (1804-1902) span the years 1809-1927, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1809-1870. The collection is composed primarily of journals, logbooks, notebooks, letterbooks, and correspondence organized into four series: Journals, Logbooks, Notebooks, and Order Books; Letterbooks; Correspondence; and Miscellany.
The correspondence is principally official and is lengthy for the periods when Selfridge commanded the USS Mississippi, presided over the Naval Examining Board, and commanded the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Major topics in the correspondence include petitions for back pay, his interest in naval architectural innovations, and the vessels he inspected while president of the Naval Examining Board. Correspondents include Henry E. Ballard, George E. Belknap, A. F. Crossman, Francis E. Grice, David D. Porter, and his son, T. O. Selfridge (1836-1924). The Miscellany contains a review by the senior Selfridge of Herman Melville’s White Jacket (New York, Harper, 1850)