Michael A. Healy
Military Person
1839 – 1904
Who was Michael A. Healy?
Michael Augustine Healy was an American captain in the United States Revenue Cutter Service.
Following U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward's Alaska purchase of the vast region in 1867, Healy patrolled the 20,000 miles of Alaskan coastline for more than 20 years, earning great respect from the natives and seafarers alike. After commercial fishing had depleted the whale and seal populations, his assistance with introduction of Siberian reindeer helped prevent starvation among the native Alaskans.
Nicknamed "Hell Roaring Mike", Healy has been identified as the first man of African-American descent to command a ship of the United States government; however, he identified as white Irish American during his lifetime. The author Jack London was inspired by his command of the USRC Bear. Commissioned in 1999, the USCGC Healy was named in his honor.
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- Born
- Sep 22, 1839
Jones County - Also known as
- Hell Roaring Mike
- Michael Augustine Healy
- Religion
- Roman Catholic Church
- Ethnicity
- African American
- Nationality
- United States of America
- Died
- Aug 30, 1904
San Francisco
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Michael A. Healy." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/michael_healy>.
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