Blakely was born on July 17, 1872 in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, where he attended
Central High School. He graduated from the
United States Naval Academy in 1892. After serving in various Navy ships and at many shore stations, he took his first command, the
protected cruiser , in 1914. As captain of this ship, and later the
armored cruiser , Blakely rendered important service in transporting and escorting troops and supplies to Europe during the First World War. For his outstanding contribution he was awarded the
Navy Cross. Following the war, Blakely served with the
Chief of Naval Operations, at the
Naval War College, and with the rank of captain he commanded the
battleship . After a tour as Assistant to the Chief of the
Bureau of Navigation in 1925, he was promoted to
rear admiral on 4 June 1926 and given command of a
cruiser division temporarily assigned to the
Asiatic Fleet after the
1927 unrest in Nanjing, China. Blakely served as the commander of Light Cruiser Division 3 (, and ) from February 1927 to April 1928 and Light Cruiser Division 2 (, , and ) from April 1928 to June 1929. He also commanded the
15th Naval District and served on the important General Board before poor health forced him to retire 1 June 1932. He was also a recipient of the
Navy Distinguished Service Medal. Blakely died on 28 March 1942 in
Aurora, Colorado; he jumped from the fifth floor of
Fitzsimons General Hospital. He was interred at
Arlington National Cemetery on 1 April 1942. ==Family==