Henry Francis Bryan was a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 Rear Admiral and the 17th Governor of American Samoa. He served as governor from March 17, 1925 to September 9, 1927. Bryan was one of only three naval governors of the territory who had retired from naval service before serving as governor, the other being John Martin Poyer

John Martin Poyer

John Martin Poyer was the twelfth Naval Governor of American Samoa, from March 1, 1915 to June 10, 1919. He held the longest term of any American Samoan Governor. A Naval Academy graduate, Poyer served in numerous positions and retired in 1906 on account of failing health; however, the Navy called...

. In the Navy, he had numerous commands, and served in the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

. His largest command was the Special Service Squadron

Special Service Squadron

The Special Service Squadron was a component of the United States Navy during the 1920s and 1930s.Under the United States Fleet, the squadron patrolled the Caribbean Sea as an instrument of gunboat diplomacy. It was headquartered in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.-Commanders:* C.H. Hockson 1907 * Henry...

.

Naval career

Bryan became a cadet at the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 on May 2, 1883, and graduated in 1887. He served on both the USS Isla de Luzon

USS Isla de Luzon (1887)

USS Isla de Luzon was a former Spanish Navy second-class protected cruiser of the same name, captured by and commissioned into the U.S. Navy as a gunboat.-Spanish Navy:...

and the USS Newark

USS Newark (C-1)

The first USS Newark was a United States Navy protected cruiser, the first modern cruiser in the US fleet.She was laid down by William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 12 June 1888, launched on 19 March 1890, sponsored by Miss Annie Boutelle, the daughter of Congressman Charles A...

. He also served on the USS Monocacy

USS Monocacy (1864)

-External links:*...

, which he commanded. Bryan fought in the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

. After serving as governor of American Samoa, Bryan returned to the Navy. There, he was given command of the Special Service Squadron

Special Service Squadron

The Special Service Squadron was a component of the United States Navy during the 1920s and 1930s.Under the United States Fleet, the squadron patrolled the Caribbean Sea as an instrument of gunboat diplomacy. It was headquartered in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone.-Commanders:* C.H. Hockson 1907 * Henry...

, which patrolled the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

. In 1921, he and his squadron were commanded to protect United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 interests during contention in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

 and Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

. He also filled a post in the Office of Naval Intelligence

Office of Naval Intelligence

The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...

.

Governorship

Bryan assumed the governorship on March 17, 1925. While governor, he established the American Samoa Department of Communications. Bryan was one of only three naval governors of the territory who had retired from naval service before serving as governor, the others being John Martin Poyer

John Martin Poyer

John Martin Poyer was the twelfth Naval Governor of American Samoa, from March 1, 1915 to June 10, 1919. He held the longest term of any American Samoan Governor. A Naval Academy graduate, Poyer served in numerous positions and retired in 1906 on account of failing health; however, the Navy called...

 and Edward Stanley Kellogg

Edward Stanley Kellogg

Edward Stanley Kellogg was a United States Navy Captain who served as the 16th Governor of American Samoa. Kellogg graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1892, and joined the Naval Engineer Corps. He served as an assistant engineer on numerous ships, and participated in the...

.