Ralph Austin Bard

Ralph Austin Bard
Under Secretary of the Navy
In office
June 24, 1944 – June 30, 1945
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S. Truman
Preceded byJames Forrestal
Succeeded byArtemus Gates
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
In office
February 24, 1941 – June 24, 1944
PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt
Preceded byLewis Compton
Succeeded byH. Struve Hensel
Personal details
BornJuly 29, 1884 (1884-07-29)
DiedApril 5, 1975 (1975-04-06) (aged 90)
PartyRepublican
SpouseMary Hancock Spear
Children4, including Katharine Bard
Alma materPrinceton University
Occupationfinancier
AwardsNavy Distinguished Service Medal
Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award
Signature
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Ralph Austin Bard (July 29, 1884 – April 5, 1975) was a Chicago financier who served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, 1941–1944, and as Under Secretary, 1944–1945. He is noted for a memorandum he wrote to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson in 1945 urging that Japan be given a warning before the use of the atomic bomb on a strategic city. He was "the only person known to have formally dissented from the use of the atomic bomb without advance warning."