William Harrison Standley (18 December 1872 – 25 October 1963) was an admiral in the United States Navy, who served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1933 to 1937. He also served as the U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1941 until 1943. Early life Standley was born in Ukiah, California, where his grandfather operated a hotel and his father, "Doc" Standley, was Mendocino County Sheriff. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1895. He then served the required two years' sea duty in the cruiser before he received his commission as an ensign in 1897. Spanish–American War During the Spanish–American War, Standley served in the monitor and later in the gunboat . After the fighting with Spain had ended, he joined the gunboat during the Philippine–American War. He won a commendation for bravery during a volunteer reconnaissance mission carried out at Baler, on 11 April 1899. In conjunction with a feint conducted by Lieutenant J. C. Gilmore, Standley, then an ensign, ventured into enemy territory to reconnoiter insurgent positions. Peacetime Ordered to the gunboat on 29 May 1901, Standley later became Officer in Charge, Branch Hydrographic Office, San Francisco, California, in October of the same year. Assigned to the training ship in June 1902, he later served as engineer in the ship and as aide to the Commandant of the Naval Station at Tutuila, Samoa. Designated as the captain of the yard there in 1905, Standley discharged his duties as officer in charge of the native guard and chief customs officer until detached with orders to the United States in October 1906. Reporting to the receiving ship in January 1907, Standley served as executive officer of the cruiser from February 1909 to August 1910. From January 1910, he also discharged duties as Albany's navigator as well. Standley then reported to the armored cruiser on 3 November 1910 and was navigator of that ship until becoming aide to the Commandant of the Mare Island Navy Yard at Vallejo, California. After three years in that post, Standley became executive officer of the battleship and later took command of the gunboat Yorktown on 15 May 1915. World War I Returning to the Naval Academy on 14 October 1916, as Assistant to the Superintendent in charge of Building and Grounds, Standley later served for 11 months as Commandant of Midshipmen. Under his direction, the new seamanship and navigation buildings were