MARIX, ADOLPH

MARIX, ADOLPH (1848–1919), U.S. naval officer. Born in Germany he was taken to the United States by his father, Henry Marix, who was an official translator to the U.S. Treasury. Adolph Marix was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis and in 1872 joined the judge advocate-general's department. He commanded a number of ships between 1894 and 1898 including the U.S.S. Maine until shortly before its mysterious sinking in the Bay of Havana. Marix was appointed judge advocate in the court of enquiry into the sinking, and his findings led to the U.S. declaration of war on Spain. Subsequently, he was president of the navy board which experimented in the use of submarines and in 1908 was promoted to rear admiral, the first Jew to attain that rank.