Greensboro native Richmond Pearson Hobson represented Alabama’s Sixth District in Congress from 1907–1915. A naval officer, he gained fame during the 1898 Spanish-American War for sinking the collier USS Merrimac in an attempt to block Spanish ships in Cuba’s Santiago Harbor. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts. In May 1942, a bronze bust of Hobson was unveiled at the state capitol in Montgomery.
Photos courtesy of: Alabama Department of Archives and History, Library of Congress, Archive.org