The Washington times., 1901-12-10
ADMIRAL VAN REYPEN
REC0MMISSIONED
TO FINISH FORTY YEARS SERVICE
DIR. T.. VI. Rixey 10 Succeed Him soon.
In FuiHllmcnt of President Nc
KinIey's Promisc-Story
of Appointments.

| Medical Director William X Van Rey-
| pen. who was nominated yesterday by the
| President for another term of four years
as Surgeon General OF the Navy. will re-
| tire from active service In January. He
will be succeeded by Medical Inspector
Presley NJ Rixey. who was the physician
of the President and Mrs. Mckinley up TO
] the time of Mr.. McKinley's death. Presi-
dent Mckinley had expressed the inten-
tion OF appointing Dr. Rixev as Surgeon
General and President Roosevelt prom
ised Mrs. Mckinley that her husbands
wish should be carried out
Service of N Lifetime.
The present term OF Surgeon General
Van Reypen will expire on December is,
On December &c he will have completed
forty years service. emitting him to re
tirement. In recognition of his services
as Surgeon General President Roosevelt
decided to reappoint him, so that he
might retire with the rank of rear ad-
miral. which the Office of Surgeon General
carries with it. DR.. Rixey will not be
ready to assume his new duties until
January, and Admiral Van Reypen will
remain in Office until then.
First Enlisted in the Army.
The forty years service OF Admiral Van
Reypen includes three months in the
army A question as to whether this pc
riod should be included in the forty years
was raised when President Roosevelt de-
termined to reappoint him, and 1t was
decided affirmatively
Admiral Van Reypeu was a resident OF
Bergen, Jersey City. y. j.. and in April.
1861. went to the war with the Second
New Jersey Volunteers as assistant sur
geon. The regiment was mustered out in
the following August, and DIR. Van Rey-
pen sought commission in the volunteer
navy. but was unsuccessful. Then he
went to New York to be examined for ap
pointment to the Medical Corps of the
Regular Army.
Nearly Missed appointment.
81 reported at the place of examina-
tion." he said yesterday in telling how he
came to enter the naval service, "and
found half dozen young men busily writ
ing at a table. There was another man
sitting on sofa and as nobody paid any
attention to me. l sat down beside him.
Going to take the examination? he
asked Yes, | answered Well. so was
l. he said. but we've got no show. There
are only two vacancies. and those six
fellows are ahead Of us. I'm going home.
And we started to leave, but the exam
lining officer stopped Us.
Where are you going. he asked.
said we had come to take the examina-
tion, but as there were only two vacan-
cies and so many competitors we had
decided not 10 try. You sit down and |
take the examination he said. and we
did so.
The young man who started to go |
home with me and got appointments to |
the two vacancies He was DR.. Charles E. |
White. who retired last year. We be- |
came good friends. And that's how / |
came TO enter the navy"
Sole Survivor of sixty.
Admiral Van Reypen is the last Of sixty |
officers who entered the Naval Medical
Corps in the first year of the civil war to
remain on the active list. On account Of
his civil war service he will DE retired 1
with the rank and pay Of the next higher !
grade, senior rear admiral. corresponding |
TO major general in the army.