Mason, Sr., was a noted architect and historian. Oliver Hazard Perry La Farge (December 19, 1901 – August 2, 1963), Perry's great-great-grandson and namesake, was an American writer and anthropologist, best known for his 1930 Pulitzer Prize–winning novel Laughing Boy. His great-grandnephew Oliver Hazard Perry Belmont (November 12, 1858 – June 10, 1908) from Buffalo, NY was an American socialite and United States Representative from New York. Perry's great-grandniece, Ruth Black (November 1893 – September 3, 1964), married Gulf Oil executive Willard F. Jones. Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877) (no relation)—the 14th Governor of Indiana, a famous Republican politician and U.S. Senator, who was a leader among the Radical Republican reconstructionists—was named in his honor. Dates of rank Midshipman – 7 April 1799 Lieutenant – 15 January 1807 Master Commandant – 28 August 1812 Captain – 10 September 1813 Although Perry is often referred to as "Commodore Perry," it should be kept in mind that, prior to the American Civil War, commodore was not a rank in the U.S. Navy but, rather, the title of an officer in command of a squadron of two or more ships. Perry first held the title of commodore when he took command of the Lake Erie squadron in 1813. Assignments Midshipman, USS General Greene – April 1799 to May 1801 Acting Lieutenant, USS Adams – June 1802 to November 1803 Second Lieutenant, USS Constellation – May 1804 to July 1805 First Lieutenant, USS Nautilus – July 1805 to December 1805 Acting Lieutenant, USS Constitution – December 1805 to c. July 1806 Second Lieutenant, USS Essex – c. July 1806 to c. October 1806 Officer in Charge of Gunboat construction in Newport and Westerly, RI – October 1806 to April 1809 Commanding Officer, USS Revenge – April 1809 to January 1811 Commanding Officer, Gunboat Squadron, Newport, RI – c. 1811 to January 1813 Commanding Officer, Lake Erie Squadron – March 1813 to c. October 1813 Commanding Officer, Gunboat squadron, Newport, RI – May 1814 to July 1814 Commanding Officer, USS Java (under construction) – July 1814 to August 1815 Commanding Officer, USS Java (in commission) – August 1815 to c. May 1817 Senior Naval Officer, Newport, RI – c. May 1817 to May 1819 Commanding Officer, Venezuelan diplomatic mission – June 1819 to August 1819 (deceased) Note – Time gaps between assignments were probably in a "waiting orders"