Bristol, Admiral Mark L(ambert) (b. April 17, 1868, Glasboro, New Jersey, USA - d. May 13, 1939, Washington DC, USA), American admiral who founded the American Hospital in Istanbul. He continued to support the American Hospital and collect donations for the hospital until a few days before his death in 1939.
Mark L. Bristol graduated from the US Naval Academy and joined the US Navy in 1887. In 1898, he was an officer in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War, serving on the USS Texas, the USS Connecticut and the USS Pittsburgh. As admiral, he commanded the USS Monterey, the USS Albany, the USS North Carolina and the USS Oklahoma.
Admiral Bristol was deputy commander-in-chief of the North Atlantic Fleet from 1901 to 1903, and also presided over the Naval Torpedo Station, Newport, Rhode Island, monitored the development of the fleet’s air forces and was head of Naval Aeronautics and commander of the US naval base in Plymouth, England.
From 1919 to 1927, he served as the US Navy’s commander in the Eastern Mediterranean, with headquarters in Istanbul. During the same period, he also held the position of high commissioner to Turkey in the US Department of State. He was one of the US delegates at the Lausanne Peace Conference. Correspondence from the time he spent in Turkey, along with his document collection and the report which bears his name, form a frequently referenced but controversial source for studies into Turkish-Armenian relations and the Great fire of Izmir in 1922.
On August 20, 1920, Admiral Bristol founded the American Hospital of Constantinople. This was followed by the foundation of a school of nursing in the same building. Until leaving Istanbul for other duties in 1927, he continued to personally support the hospital and take a close interest in ensuring the requirements of this important institution were met. As a result of his support for the hospital, which changed its name to the American Hospital of Istanbul in 1931, the American Hospital and the Nursing School were renamed the Admiral Bristol Hospital (1945-68) and the Admiral Bristol Nursing School (1945-99) for a certain time period.
As rear admiral (upper half), Admiral Bristol led the US Navy’s Asian Fleet (1927-29). His final role in the navy was as chair of the general board of the US Navy (1930-32). He received a commendation from the Chief of Naval Operations for protecting American interests during unrest in the city of Swatow (now Shantou), China. As well as receiving several medals and distinctions, he was also awarded the US Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Admiral Bristol died in Washington DC in 1939 following a short illness.