He was deluged with speaking invitations when he returned to the United States. After dining with President William McKinley, Hobson traveled west by train en route to San Francisco and the Philippines. Crowds greeted his train at many stations, and his enthusiasm for kissing admiring young women made him a sex symbol of the Victorian age. He became a sort of celebrity during the rise of popular journalism at the turn of the century and was referred to as "the most kissed man in America." Hobson authored a book, published in 1899, about the events surrounding the sinking of Merrimac. Postwar career Hobson was advanced ten numbers in grade after the war and was promoted to naval constructor with the rank of lieutenant to date from June 23, 1898. Following the end of the war, he helped repair and refit captured Spanish cruisers at Cavite and at various Navy shore stations. In 1899 he became a Veteran Companion of the Pennsylvania Commandery of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. He was also a Companion of the New York Commandery of the Naval and Military Order of the Spanish War. As of January 1, 1902 Hobson had been promoted to captain with date of rank of June 23, 1898. After an unsuccessful attempt to retire, he resigned from the Navy in 1903. His resignation prompted Secretary of the Navy William Henry Moody to reconsider and allow him to retire. In 1933, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his attempt to block the channel. He was the only Navy officer to receive the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Spanish–American War. Political career After resigning from active duty in 1903, Hobson remained a staunch supporter of the navy and during his subsequent career as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Alabama, 1907–1915, was a firm advocate of naval expansion. He was denied renomination in the 1914 Democratic primary and was notable for being the only congressman from the Deep South to vote for the (failed) women's suffrage bill in the 1915 lame duck session. In 1934, by special act of the United States Congress, he was advanced to naval constructor with a rank of rear admiral and placed on the retired list. He died on March 16, 1937, in New York City and is interred in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Role in American drug policy After leaving Congress, Hobson