Adolph Marix, was a German-born American officer in the United States Navy, who served in the Spanish–American War. The former executive officer of the battleship USS Maine, he served as recorder on the 1898 court of inquiry which investigated the ship's explosion. He eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral. In 1868, he had been the first Jewish graduate from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis.

Maine was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April. U.S. newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction. The phrase, "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!" became a rallying cry for action. Although the Maine explosion was not a direct cause, it served as a catalyst that accelerated the events leading up to the war.