Michael A. Healy

For other people named Michael Healy, see Michael Healy (disambiguation).

Michael A. Healy
Nickname(s)"Hell Roaring Mike"
Born(1839-09-22)September 22, 1839
Jones County, Georgia, U.S.
DiedAugust 30, 1904(1904-08-30) (aged 64)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Buried
Colma, California, U.S.[1]
Allegiance United States
Service / branch U.S. Revenue Cutter Service
Years of service1865–1903
RankCaptain (USRCS)[Note 1]
CommandsUSRC Rush
USRC Corwin
USRC Bear
USRC McCulloch
USRC Thetis
Alma materCollege of the Holy Cross (AB)

Michael Augustine Healy (September 22, 1839 – August 30, 1904) was an American career officer with the United States Revenue Cutter Service (predecessor of the United States Coast Guard), reaching the rank of captain. He has been recognized since the late 20th century as the first man of African-American descent to command a ship of the United States government.

He commanded several vessels within the territory of the Alaskan coastline.[4]

Following U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward's Alaska purchase of the vast region in 1867, Healy patrolled the 20,000 miles (32,000 km) 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 the introduction of Siberian reindeer helped prevent starvation among the Alaskan Natives. The author Jack London was inspired by Healy's command of the renowned USRC Bear. It had a thick wooden hull, and was powered by steam-and-sail for use as a proto-icebreaker; it was put into service as a cutter in 1884.[5] Nicknamed "Hell Roaring Mike", Healy was the fifth of 10 children of the Healy family of Georgia, known for their achievements in the North after being born into slavery. Their parents were an Irish-born planter and his African-American mixed-race slave, with whom he had a common-law marriage. His father arranged for the children to be formally educated at boarding schools in the North. Predominately European in ancestry, they identified as Irish Catholics. USCGC Healy, commissioned in 1999, was named in his honor.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCG03 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ King, p 61
  3. ^ King, p 223
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCG01 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Captain Michael A. Healy, USRCS > United States Coast Guard > All". history.uscg.mil. United States Coast Guard. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024. Capt. Mike Healy is a good deal more distinguished person in the waters of the far Northwest than any president of the United States or any potentate of Europe has yet become. (New York Sun, January 1894)


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