Olive Hoskins


Olive Hoskins was a military clerk and the first woman promoted to warrant officer in the United States Army. She served for almost 30 years before retiring. During her duty, she never wore a military uniform or saluted a superior officer.

Early life

Hoskins was born in Pasadena, California, around 1890.

Career

Hoskins initially worked for the U.S. Army as a civilian grade headquarters clerk in 1907. During World War I in 1916 she was attached to an intelligence unit in an army field clerk position. She did well in this position and in 1917 she was made a Warrant Officer. She became an office manager director in charge of personnel at the Judge Advocate General's Office in San Francisco, California.
Hoskins served in the Philippines from 1919 to 1922. She then served ten years at the Seventh Corps Headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, initially in a director's position. The director's position was dissolved in 1926 while she was serving there. She was appointed a warrant officer, a technical position specifically designed as an upper grade level. It was a skilled trained position for a specific job, uncommon to the normal duties of the area. It ranked between enlisted people and commissioned officers. Hoskins stayed in Omaha through 1933.
Hoskins had served in the military about 20 years when she received the warrant officer position. Hoskins was the first woman to be a United States Army warrant officer. The second woman to receive the warrant officer's position was Jen Doble. She also had served about 20 years in the military. There were no more female warrant officers until after Hoskins and Doble retired. Hoskins went back to the Philippines in 1934 and stayed there into mid 1936. Her final assignment from 1936 until retirement in 1937 was at the Ninth Corps Headquarters in San Francisco.
Hoskins in her military career had never worn a military uniform, never had to salute a superior, was never awakened by reveille, never slept in a pup tent, and never stood in line for mess.

Death

Hoskins died October 1, 1975.