William M. Crane

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William Montgomery Crane (February 1, 1776 – March 18, 1846) was an American naval officer who rose to the rank of commodore. He fought in the First Barbary War and the War of 1812. He came from a military family—his father, General William Crane, was wounded at the Battle of Quebec, and his brother, Colonel Ichabod Crane, also served in the wars of that era.

Crane was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and became a midshipman in 1799. As a lieutenant on the USS Vixen, he earned praise for his actions in the attacks on Tripoli in 1804. In 1812 he commanded the brig Nautilus, which was captured by a British squadron. He was promoted to master commandant in 1813 and to captain in 1814. In 1827 he commanded the Mediterranean Squadron and helped with negotiations with the Ottoman Empire. He later served on the Board of Navy Commissioners and was the first Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography from 1842 until his death.

Crane died by suicide in Washington, D.C., at age 70. His legacy includes the Crane Naval Depot in Indiana (now part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division), the destroyer USS Crane (DD-109) named in his honor, and the town of Crane, Indiana, named after him.