ESSAY CONTEST BACKGROUND & RULES

The General Prize Essay contest is perhaps the oldest continuously conducted writing contest in the entire United States. The Institute began work on the Contest in 1878 under the leadership of the most recognized and celebrated Naval Strategist in United States history, Alfred Thayer Mahan, then the Chairman of the Naval Institute.

Lieutenant Commander Allan D. Brown first proposed the idea for an essay contest sponsored by the U.S. Naval Institute for "a paper which shall be deemed the best" on 9 May 1878 at the organization's meeting in Annapolis. The first contest was in 1879. The name of the contest was changed in 1985 to the Arleigh Burke Essay Contest in honor of the World War II hero, former Chief of Naval Operations, and President of the Naval Institute. The name reverted to the General Prize in 2008. Today, the prizes honor the first, second, and third best articles published in Proceedings over the previous year, from October through September of the succeeding year.

General Prize Essay Contest Rules

Essay Contests - 1870 to 1879

1879 General Prize Essay Contest Winners
Prize WinnerLieutenant Commander A.D. Brown, USNNaval Education
First Honorable MentionLieutenant Commander C.F. Goodrich, USNNaval Education
Second Honorable MentionCommander A.T. Mahan, USNNaval Education
 
 

Conferences and Events

2013 U.S. Naval History Conference

Thu, 2013-10-03

U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Hall

 

2014 WEST Conference

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