Frank Lesher

This collection represents the largest and finest personal collection from a single individual of the Great White Fleet. Frank Lesher was a unique participant of the cruise, he documented his trip in great detail, and he preserved those items once he returned. He understood the historical context of the trip and the role he played. This extraordinary collection was found and preserved by his granddaughter Leslie Joan Lesher almost 100 years later. "This Great White Fleet Collection sat untouched in my grandparent’s attic for over 90 years. The death of my parents led me to clean out the attic and drag back home an old chest whose contents were unknown to me. As with too many people, we fail to know our ancestors. My grandfather died before I was born. In finding this collection I have been able to get acquainted with him for the first time."

Frank Lesher was born August 19, 1884 in Chambersburg, PA., and was the son of Isaac and Lily Porter Lesher. He was a graduate of the former Chambersburg Academy, attended Purdue University and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He served in the Navy from 1906 to 1913 achieving a rank of Chief Petty Officer before leaving the Navy to start his own electrical contracting business which to this day continues to prosper in Chambersburg, PA under the name Frank B. Lesher Company.

Frank Lesher, J.D. Lindsay and M.E. Thibedeaux

USS Indiana, September, 191313

The collection assembled by Frank includes more than 50 letters mailed home, certificates, photographs, booklets, postcards, and souvenirs that were meticulously collected and stored in a truck upon arrival back home, It also includes a typewritten account of the trip prepared by Frank after returning. Some of his photos contained typed labels for displaying the photos indicating that Frank prepared a presentation of his trip given after his return, probably within the community of Chambersburg.

This collection is linked in the website at the lower right of port visit pages with the above photograph.

Over the next few months this site will post the entire collection in chronological order.

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