Charles P . Snyder ( admiral ) Charles Philip Snyder ( July 10 , 1879 – December 3 , 1964 ) was a four - star admiral in the United States Navy who served as the U . S . Navy ' s first Naval Inspector General during World War II . Early career . Born in Charleston , West Virginia in Kanawha County to future West Virginia Congressman Charles P . Snyder and Jane Goshorn , he attended Washington and Lee University for one year before entering the U . S . Naval Academy in 1896 . Graduating fourth in his class in 1900 , he served the standard two years at sea as a passed cadet before being commissioned ensign in 1902 and assigned to the battleship " Alabama " . Promoted to lieutenant , he reported to the Naval Academy on August 16 , 1905 as an instructor in navigation and mechanics . In February 1906 , he was called before a Congressional subcommittee to testify about his role as the disciplinary officer in charge during a notorious hazing incident that had resulted in an upper class man being acquitted at court - martial for the injury of a fourth class man on the grounds that he and other upper class men had understood Snyder to have tacitly encouraged the hazing . During World War I , he commanded the battleship " Oregon " , flagship of the Pacific Fleet ; the cruiser " Minneapolis " ; and the transport " Mongolia " . He graduated from the Naval War College in 1925 . Promoted to captain , he served as commandant of midshipmen at the Naval Academy , on staff at the Naval War College , and as manager of the Portsmouth Navy Yard . Flag officer . He was promoted to rear admiral with date of rank March 1 , 1933 while serving as chief of staff to Admiral David F . Sellers , who was Commander Battleships , Battle Force , U . S . Fleet from 1932 to 1933 and Commander in Chief , U . S . Fleet from 1933 to 1934 . Snyder was commandant of the Portsmouth Navy Yard from 1934 to 1935 , then commanded a heavy cruiser division of the Scouting Force , followed by a battleship division of the Battle Force , before serving as President of the Naval War College from January 2 , 1937 to May 27 , 1939 . He returned to sea in 1939 as Commander Battleships , Battle Force , with the temporary rank of vice admiral . On January 6 , 1940 , he hoisted his four - star flag on board the battleship " California " as Commander Battle Force with the temporary rank of admiral . As commander of the Battle Force , he was second in command of the U . S . Fleet , under Admiral James O . Richardson . In January 1941 , Richardson was relieved over a dispute about fleet basing and replaced by Husband E . Kimmel , a junior rear admiral . Simultaneously , the fleet was reorganized and the position of Commander Battle Force was downgraded to three stars , a change scheduled to take effect upon the completion of Snyder ' s tour that summer . For reasons of his own , Snyder had no desire to serve under Kimmel , and asked to be relieved immediately . He was succeeded by Vice Admiral William S . Pye on January 31 , 1941 , one day before Kimmel ascended to command and eleven months before most of the Battle Force ' s battleships were sunk at anchor during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . World War II . Upon relinquishing command of the Battle Force , he reverted to his permanent rank of rear admiral and became a member of the General Board with additional duty as the president of the Board for Inspection of Military Readiness in Naval Districts . As a member of the General Board , Snyder participated in the debate over the role of African American sailors in the Navy . The Navy ' s policy was to confine black sailors to menial duties as stewards and messmen , excluding them from general service on the grounds that they were unable to maintain discipline among white subordinates and therefore had to be segregated , which was impractical at sea . When the General Board convened on January 23 , 1942 , Snyder suggested expanding black enlistment in rigidly segregated support roles outside the service branches : in the Aviation Branch , following the Army ' s lead ; aboard auxiliaries and minor vessels , especially transports ; or in the Musician ' s Branch , because " the colored race is very musical and they are versed in all forms of rhythm . " From May 1942 until April 1946 , he served as the first Naval Inspector General . The Naval Inspector General was used as a troubleshooter during World War II , inspecting shore facilities and investigating misconduct . As but one of 24 inspection authorities concerned with Navy procurement and administration of activities ashore , he was instructed to keep the organization small and to rely on augmentation from the Fleet . He retired in August 1943 upon reaching the statutory age , and was advanced to admiral on the retired list as the highest rank in which he had served , but remained on active duty as inspector general until the end of the war . In early 1946 , he investigated the sinking of the heavy cruiser " Indianapolis " in his official capacity as inspector general , but agreed to curtail his investigation so that Fleet Admiral Ernest J . King and Navy Secretary James V . Forrestal could immediately court - martial " Indianapolis " ' commanding officer , Captain Charles B . McVay III . Personal life . He married the former Cornelia Walcott on July 10 , 1902 , and had three children : Elizabeth ; Philip , who retired from the Navy as a rear admiral ; and Jane . He died at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda , Maryland in 1964 . He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery . His decorations include the Navy Cross for eminent and conspicuous service in World War I , and a special letter of commendation from the War Department . He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree ( LL . D . ) from Washington and Lee College on January 24 , 1943 , and the Sigma Chi fraternity distinguished medal for conspicuous public service in 1940 .