Templin Potts Templin Morris Potts ( November 1 , 1855 – March 22 , 1927 ) was a United States Navy Captain and the 11th Naval Governor of Guam . He held many important posts during his time in the Navy , including Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence , Naval attaché to Kaiser Wilhelm II , and aid for naval personnel . During the Spanish – American War , he participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba , after which he commanded a number of ships . In 1913 , he was forced into retirement after not having spent a large enough portion of his service at sea . This forced retirement sparked outrage from many , and led to letters and marches of protest . A United States Senator even introduced a bill in Congress to have him re - instated . Though these efforts all ultimately failed , they led to greater scrutiny of the retirement board . As governor , he forbade the men under his command to marry native Chamorro women and increased funding to fight disease on Guam . Life . Potts was born on November 1 , 1855 in Washington , D . C . . He received his education in the Washington area private school system . On May 10 , 1902 , Potts married Alden Brown in a civil ceremony in Berlin . He died on March 22 , 1927 in Pasadena , California . Naval career . Potts attended the United States Naval Academy and , entering on June 6 , 1872 and graduating on June 20 , 1876 . In 1877 , he served aboard the USS " Plymouth " as a midshipman . He also served aboard the USS " Swatara " in 1879 and the USS " Palos " from 1879 to 1892 . During the Spanish – American War , he served aboard the USS " Massachusetts " , where he participated in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba . From 1885 to 1887 , he served on the USS " Pensacola " . From Oct 1 , 1902 to December 30 , 1904 , he served as Naval attaché to Rome , Vienna , and Berlin . During this tour of duty , Potts was a lieutenant commander . He served as commanding officer of the USS " Des Moines " and of the USS " Georgia " in 1908 . That same year , he obtained the rank of Captain . From December 17 , 1909 to January 25 , 1912 , Potts was Director of the Office of Naval Intelligence . In 1911 , he acted as the official United States representative for the reception of Japan ese Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō . Soon after , he became Navy aid for personnel . From 1912 to July 2 , 1913 , he commanded the USS " Louisiana " . After this command , Potts was forced into retirement . The Captain had passed his examination for rear admiral , but had been let go nonetheless , as he had not spent at least half of his time as captain at sea . His case drew national attention after he saved the " Louisiana " from flooding following a valve blowout in the ship ' s starboard engine room that left a hole in the ship ' s hull . He consulted his lawyers about the possibility of reinstatement , and a group of sailors protested the forced retirement through demonstrations and letter - writing , and a Senator even introduced a bill in Congress to reinstate him with the rank of Rear Admiral . Despite the criticism , the Navy did not reinstate him . Governorship . Potts served as Governor of Guam from December 3 , 1906 to October 3 , 1907 . Potts sought to separate whites from the native Chamorro population by denouncing interracial marriage , calling it " degenerating to the whites " , and threatened to forcibly discharge any military man who married a native Guamanian woman . He successfully obtained additional funding from Congress to combat outbreaks of leprosy and yaws on the island .