Philip Bracken Fleming

For other people with similar names, see Philip Fleming.

Philip Bracken Fleming
United States Ambassador to Costa Rica
In office 1951–1953
President	Harry S. Truman
Preceded by	Joseph Flack
Succeeded by	Robert C. Hill
Personal details
Born	(1887-10-15)October 15, 1887 Burlington, Iowa, U.S.
Died	October 6, 1955(1955-10-06) (aged 67) Washington, D.C., U.S.

Philip Bracken Fleming (October 15, 1887 – October 6, 1955) was a United States Army general and United States Ambassador to Costa Rica.

Biography

At West Point in 1911

Fleming views Public Roads Administration exhibit at the 1948 convention of the American Road Builders Association in Chicago

The Iowa-born Fleming was son of John Joseph and Mary Bracken Fleming. From 1905 to 1907 he attended the University of Wisconsin.[1]

Fleming was cadet at the United States Military Academy from June 15, 1907, until June 13, 1911, when he graduated first in his class. Many of his classmates, such as Charles P. Hall, William H. H. Morris Jr., Alexander Surles, John R. Homer, Raymond A. Wheeler, John P. Lucas, Harry R. Kutz, Herbert Dargue, Ira T. Wyche, Karl S. Bradford, Frederick Gilbreath, Gustav H. Franke, Paul W. Baade, Jesse A. Ladd, Thompson Lawrence, Bethel Wood Simpson, James B. Crawford, Joseph C. Mehaffey, Harold F. Nichols and James R.N. Weaver, became general officers before, during or after World War II

He was promoted to Second Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers.[2]

During his military career, he held the following ranks: August 1, 1935 Lieutenant-Colonel, January 1, 1940, Colonel, February 14, 1941, Brigadier-General (Army of the United States), October 25, 1942 Major-General (Army of the United States), January 31, 1947 Major-General (Regular Army, Retired).

Still serving in the U. S. Army through January 1947, he held several posts in the late 1930s as District Engineer in Maine and Minnesota, then two jobs in the Labor Department, and from December 4, 1941, to May 26, 1949, as Federal Works Administrator. In 1949 he became Chairman of the US Maritime Commission, and in May 1950 Under-Secretary of Commerce.

From 1951 to 1953, he served as ambassador to Costa Rica.[3] He died on October 6, 1955.[4] Fleming was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[5]

References

1. Commerce, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Interstate and Foreign (1950). Nominations to United States Maritime Commission and to Federal Maritime Board: Hearings Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate, Eighty-first Congress, First and Second Sessions, on Nomination of Maj. Gen. Philip B. Fleming, United States Army, Retired, of New Hampshire, to be a Member of the United States Maritime Commission...[and] to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Transportation ... Albert W. Gatov, of California...[and] Robert W. Williams, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Federal Maritime Board ... [et.al]. May 25, 1949. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 1.
2. Cullum, George Washington (1920). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. Since Its Establishment in 1802: Supplement. Printed at the Riverside Press. p. 1517.
3. "Philip Bracken Fleming : People - Department History - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
4. Assembly, Volumes 16-17. 1957. p. 86.
5. "Fleming, Philip B". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved March 13, 2023.

External links

• Generals of World War II

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Joseph Flack	United States Ambassador to Costa Rica 1951–1953	Succeeded by Robert C. Hill