John J. Brice | |
---|---|
United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries | |
In office March 30, 1896 – February 16, 1898 | |
President | Grover Cleveland (1896–1897) William McKinley (1897–1898) |
Preceded by | Marshall McDonald |
Succeeded by | George M. Bowers |
Personal details | |
Born | 1841 Newark, Ohio |
Died | 1 January 1912 (age 70) San Francisco, California |
Nationality | American |
Profession | Naval officer |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1861–1895, 1898 |
Rank | Captain |
Commands | |
Battles/wars | |
John J. Brice (1841 – 1 January 1912) led the United States Fish Commission as the third United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries. He served in the position from 1896 to 1898. Prior to his Fish Commission service, he was a United States Navy officer who saw action during the American Civil War (1861–1865).
U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries Marshall McDonald died in office on September 1, 1895, and the U.S. Fish Commission's chief clerk, Herbert A. Gill, took charge as acting commissioner until McDonald's permanent replacement could be found.[10] Brice had served a tour of duty with the Fish Commission during his naval career[5] and, in addition to demonstrating his administrative abilities, had taken great interest in the propagation of salmon along the U.S. West Coast[11] On March 30, 1896[10] President Grover Cleveland appointed him as the third Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, in which role he directed the activities of the Fish Commission.
As one of his first priorities as commissioner, Brice directed that the Fish Commission discontinue the rearing and propagation of "coarser" species (i.e., those less appealing as food or game fish) and prioritize commercially more important ones in inland waters and at sea in its fish-cultural activities.[10] To this end, he focused the commission's work force on the American shad fishery along the United States East Coast, the collection of lobster eggs in New England, and the propagation of tautog, resulting in increased propagation of all three by the middle of 1896.[10] He also emphasized the propagation of mackerel, which had become scarce in the Atlantic Ocean off the United States, and of salmon on both the U.S. East and West Coasts, traveling to the West Coast to oversee personally the selection of sites for new salmon hatcheries.[10] He continued planned investigations of the fur seal herds in the Pribilof, Commander, and Kuril Islands.[12]
By mid-1897, salmon egg production had tripled over that of previous years, and the Fish Commission also had made good progress in its efforts to support the lobster, mackerel and American shad fisheries. It also had engaged in efforts to introduce aquatic species of various kinds into new regions of the United States.[13] The propagation and distribution of food fishes continued to increase substantially into 1898.[14]
In 1898, President William McKinley appointed George Meade Bowers, a banker and politician from West Virginia, to replace Brice as commissioner.[15] McKinley's decision sparked controversy: The New York Evening Post criticized McKinley for nominating candidates to the leadership of scientific agencies according to the incentives of a spoils system rather than for the scientific experience of the candidates, and the Philadelphia Inquirer published an editorial decrying McKinley's decision to replace Brice, arguing that Brice had performed well, that Bowers had no scientific qualifications for the position, and that McKinley was replacing Brice – who had been appointed by McKinley's predecessor Grover Cleveland — merely because of political considerations, which the Inquirer claimed had never affected the commissioner's position before.[16] Although there was an outcry in support of Brice in scientific circles,[16] McKinley went ahead with the appointment of Bowers on February 1, 1898,[15] and Brice asked his supporters not to object to McKinley's choice.[16] On February 16, 1898, Brice stepped aside and Bowers became commissioner.[15]
The Spanish–American War broke out in April 1898, and Brice returned to active duty in the Navy with the rank of captain, serving as captain of the yard at Mare Island Navy Yard.[1] He retired again after the war ended in August 1898.[1]
Brice died at the age of 70 on January 1, 1912, at San Francisco, California.[1]