Robert F. Lopez

Robert Files Lopez (1859&mdash;September 20, 1936) was an officer in the United States Navy. He entered Annapolis with the Class of 1879, and he became the first Hispanic-American to graduate from the United States Naval Academy.

Lopez served as an ensign aboard the USS Thetis (1881) during a voyage of exploration around Alaska in 1888–89. Lopez Point on Herschel Island was named in his honor by the commander of Thetis, Charles Stockton.

The highlight of his 32-year naval career, was his service under Admiral Dewey's command at the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War, the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.

He commanded the destroyer USS Preble (DD-12) in 1904–1906.

Captain Lopez's last posting before retirement was as senior member of a naval board which conducted a general survey of vessels on the Pacific coast. He retired as a Commodore (Rear Admiral) in 1911.

Upon America's entry into World War I in 1917, Lopez was recalled to duty as acting commandant of the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, located northeast of San Francisco.

Commodore Lopez died in Alameda, California after a year's illness at the age of 77.