On October 10, 1845, the United States Naval Academy was formally opened at the historic city of Annapolis on the south shore of the Severn River, not far distant from the seat of Government in Washington. The School, as the Academy was then designated, was established on the site of an old army post, Fort Severn, which had been transferred to the Navy Department just two months earlier.
All of the original buildings, which filled the requirements of the army post and which were adequate for the immediate needs of the Naval School in 1845, have during the succeeding years been replaced by improved and larger structures. As the years passed, more land was acquired and the Naval Academy expanded its confines.
While all who were closely associated with the lives of midshipmen and officers of the old Navy and the old Naval School have long since passed away, history and tradition still survive. Historical associations and naval traditions are perpetuated for future generations by the names bestowed on the buildings of architectural beauty and the well-kept grounds with which no other naval school can compare. Thus environment plays an important role in training. The atmosphere seems to breathe of the great heroes of our Navy—heroes of the days long before this school was founded, heroes of ensuing years, and heroes of today. The buildings, the grounds, the walks, the roads, the mooring basins and the athletic fields have been given the names of great men who served our Navy and our Country well; and along the walls of the Chapel, Memorial Hall, and the Armory, memorials have been placed in honor of those graduates who have given their lives in the performance of duty.
The midshipmen's dormitory, Bancroft Hall, honors the memory of George Bancroft, the historian and diplomat, who bore an important role in the nomination of James K. Polk for the presidency in 1844. He was appointed to Polk's cabinet as Secretary of the Navy; and, recognizing a long-felt national need, he made his office especially memorable by establishing the Naval Academy as a permanent school for the education and training of midshipmen. The name of the Academy's first Superintendent, Commander Franklin Buchanan of Maryland, is recalled by Buchanan Road. Receiving his midshipman's warrant in 1815, at the age of fifteen, Buchanan soon won recognition for ability in his profession. He submitted a plan for organizing the new Naval School in 1845 in compliance with Secretary Bancroft's request, and was appointed Superintendent. Two years later he was given duty afloat and in 1852 he had command of the frigate Susquehanna, flagship of Commodore Matthew C. Perry in the expedition to Japan. He resigned from the United States Navy in 1861 and cast his lot with the Confederate States; he received command of the Chesapeake Bay Squadron with his flag on the reconstructed Merrimac; and by 1864 he had become the ranking officer of the Confederate States Navy.
The crypt below the floor of the Chapel was especially constructed to serve as the final resting place for the remains of John Paul Jones, after his body had been located in a cemetery in Paris in 1905. A Scotchman by birth, Jones came to America aboard a merchantship at an early age and won a commission as a lieutenant in the Continental Navy in 1775. He was given command of the Ranger in 1777 and made a memorable cruise, but his crowning success in the American Navy came in September 1779 aboard the Bonhomme Richard in the famous engagement with the British frigate Serapis.
Stephen Decatur, a young Maryland officer who won distinction in the old Navy, is honored by Decatur Road. His achievements during the Tripolitan War won for him the rank of captain at the age of twenty-five. He commanded the frigate United States in the War of 1812 and captured the British frigate Macedonian. His untimely death came in 1820 at Bladensburg, Maryland, when he was the victim of a duel with Commodore James Barron.
The name of Captain James Lawrence, who entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1797, is borne by the large athletic field in close proximity to the Postgraduate School. Lawrence saw service with Decatur in the Mediterranean during the Tripolitan disturbances and he was in command of the frigate Chesapeake in her action with the British frigate Shannon in June, 1813. His immortal words "Don't give up the ship!" uttered when he fell mortally wounded in the thick of the fight, were adopted by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry as the slogan of his battle flag on the Lawrence (named for Captain Lawrence) in the Battle of Lake Erie in September of that year. This flag has been preserved and it is now conspicuously displayed in Bancroft Hall. Perry Circle honors the name of the famous fighting commodore.
The gymnasium is designated as Macdonough Hall in compliment to Captain Thomas Macdonough who entered the Navy as a midshipmen in 1800. He served in the war with Tripoli, first on the Constellation and later on the Philadelphia; and in the War of 1812 he was given command of the fleet on Lake Champlain. His victory at the Battle of Plattsburg promptly brought him national distinction.
Commander George P. Upshur, the second Superintendent of the Naval Academy, has been memorialized by Upshur Road. A native of Virginia, he entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1818. He was given command of the brig Truxtun on her first cruise to the Mediterranean in 1843 and four years later he came to the Naval Academy as Superintendent. It was during his administration that the first addition to the original site of the former Army post was made, Congress having appropriated funds for the purchase of some adjoining property.
The beautifully parked walk which extends from the main entrance of the midshipmen's dormitory to the entrance of the Library, and over which the future admirals of our Navy march briskly to and from their classes, has been designated as Stribling Walk in memory of Commodore Cornelius K. Stribling who succeeded Commander Upshur as Superintendent in 1850. Born in South Carolina in 1796, Stribling entered the Navy as a midshipman at the age of sixteen and received his commission as a lieutenant six years later.
Goldsborough Walk bears the name of the fourth Superintendent, Commander Louis M. Goldsborough, a member of the well-known Maryland family of that name. He received his warrant as a midshipman in 1812 when but seven years of age but he saw no actual service until 1816. He had duty with the Mediterranean Squadron as a young officer and in 1830 he was put in charge of the newly established Depot of Charts and Instruments at Washington. Service afloat claimed his attention during the Mexican War and in 1853 he came to the Naval Academy as Superintendent. It was during his administration, in 1854, that the first Graduating Exercises were held at the Academy.
The fifth Superintendent, Commodore George Smith Blake, is remembered by Blake Road, on which the Administration Building, the Chapel, and the Superintendent's House are located. A native of Massachusetts, he entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1818. His duty as Superintendent extended over a period of eight years (1857-65)—the longest continuous duty for any Superintendent in the history of the Academy. It was during his administration that the Academy was removed from Annapolis to Newport, Rhode Island, during the War between the States; and with the termination of the conflict he returned the School to the city of its birth. The Navy Department's appreciation of Commodore Blake's services during this critical period was expressed in a letter addressed to him by Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles in August, 1865.
Chauvenet Walk was named for Professor William Chauvenet, the astronomer and mathematician, a member of the Naval Academy's first staff of instructors. He served at the school for a period of fourteen years and his efforts were real contributions in formulating the courses of instruction in mathematics and navigation which were adopted for the midshipmen of his day.
Admiral David Dixon Porter, the Academy's sixth Superintendent, is recalled by Porter Road. A member of the well-known Porter family, so closely allied with the history of our Navy, he received his midshipman's warrant in 1829 and had his early training aboard the frigate Constellation. His father, David Porter, as a midshipman in 1799, was aboard the Constellation when she captured the French frigate Insurgente. During the Mexican War David Dixon Porter saw active service on the Spitfire, a small side-wheeler, and his experiences doubtless prepared him for the great conflict of 1861 in which he was destined to play an important role as commander of the sloop-of-war Powhatan. He distinguished himself in the capture of New Orleans and was eventually given command of all naval forces on the western rivers above that city. At the termination of the Civil War he was appointed Superintendent of the Naval Academy and his tour of duty (1865-69) has been appropriately termed "an epoch-making administration." He succeeded in securing increased appropriations for the expansion of the reservation and for the erection of adequate buildings, and he was influential in improving and broadening the course of instruction. He fostered the organization of extracurricular activities for recreation and diversion and won the respect and admiration of officers and midshipmen alike.
One of the large parade grounds, Worden Field, bears the name of Commodore John L. Worden, who was in command of the Monitor in her famous engagement with the Merrimac in March, 1862. He commanded the Montauk the following year and succeeded in destroying the Confederate cruiser Nashville which had been attempting to slip through the blockade with a cargo of cotton. He was selected to serve as Superintendent of the Naval Academy in 1869.
Rear Admiral Christopher R. P. Rodgers, who came to the Academy as Superintendent in 1874, is recalled by Rogders Road. He was a descendant of John Rodgers of Maryland who, as a young lieutenant, won distinction on the Constellation in 1799. He entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1833, saw active service during the Seminole and Mexican Wars, and in 1861 he had reached the rank of commander. He served as fleet-captain aboard the Wabash of Admiral Du Pont's squadron at the Battle of Port Royal, and aboard the New Ironsides during the battle of Charleston in April, 1863. He always cherished high ideals and his administration at the Naval Academy was marked by his attempt to institute a number of reforms. He had the distinction of returning to the Academy for a second tour of duty as Superintendent in June, 1881. This was of short duration, however, as it necessarily terminated when he reached the retirement age in the early fall.
Parker Road honors the memory of Commodore Foxhall A. Parker who filled the position of Superintendent for but one short year, July 1878 to June 1879. He was the son of Foxhall Alexander Parker of Virginia who served with distinction as a naval officer in the War of 1812. Receiving his appointment as a midshipman in 1839, young Foxhall saw service in the West Indies against the Florida Indians before attending the Naval School at Philadelphia. He was commissioned as lieutenant in 1850 and held many important commands both afloat and ashore before being called to take charge of the Academy. He was keenly interested in the science of his profession and is remembered by the older officers of the Navy as reviving practical seamanship for midshipmen and sending all hands to sea on Saturday afternoons in the Dale, an antiquated craft which was the only available practice ship for use at the Academy at that time. His death occurred on June 10, 1879.
The succeeding Superintendent was Rear Admiral George Beall Balch for whom Balch Road has been named. He was born in Tennessee and received his appointment as a midshipman in 1837. His first cruise was made under Captain "Mad Jack" Percival aboard the Cyane with the Mediterranean Squadron commanded by Commodore Isaac Hull. He was with Commodore Matthew C. Perry in the diplomatic expedition to Japan in 1853 and saw active service during the War between the States nearly ten years later. After completing his tour of duty at the Academy (1879-81) he was given command of the Pacific Fleet for a short period and was retired in January, 1883.
The first graduate of the Naval Academy to have the honor of serving as Superintendent was Rear Admiral Francis Munroe Ramsay of Washington who is recalled by Ramsay Road. He entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1850, spent one year at the Academy, and then went to sea on the practice ship Preble. He returned to the Academy and was graduated in June, 1856. His first tour of duty as an officer at his Alma Mater came during the administration of Admiral Porter when he served as assistant to the Commandant and as an instructor in gunnery. As Superintendent (1881-86) he took direct steps to improve the practical instruction and to enforce the discipline of the school.
The large armory, Dahlgren Hall, bears the name of Rear Admiral John Adolphus B. Dahlgren who received his midshipman's warrant in 1826 and was destined to become an ordnance expert and the inventor of the first large-caliber naval gun. He served as instructor in ordnance at the Naval Academy in 1847.
An annex to Dahlgren Hall has been named in memory of Lieutenant James Harmon Ward who was selected by Secretary Bancroft in 1845 to be Executive Officer of the Naval School (Academy) and in addition to be instructor in ordnance and gunnery.
Luce Hall, which contains the academic departments of Seamanship and Navigation, and Foreign Languages, is named in honor of Rear Admiral Stephen Bleecker Luce who received his warrant as a midshipman at the age of fourteen. He learned the rudiments of seamanship at sea, became a student at the Naval School in 1848 and was graduated with the second class to complete the course of instruction here. As a young officer and all through his interesting career his energies were directed principally to raising the efficiency of the naval personnel. He was a prolific writer and he became a recognized authority on naval education. As Head of the Department of Seamanship in 1862-63 and as Commandant of Midshipmen in 1865-68 he was afforded ample means of observing the real needs of the service. In after years, he succeeded in bringing about the founding of the Naval War College at Newport.
Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan has been honored by having the large structure which contains the Library and Auditorium bear his name. He was graduated from the Naval Academy with the Class of 1859 and his keen interest in naval strategy and history won for him world-wide renown. His chief work, The Influence of Sea Power upon History, was published while he was on duty as an instructor at the Naval War College in 1890 and it exercised a mighty important influence on national and international affairs.
Maury Hall, named in compliment to Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury, contains the academic departments of Mathematics, and English, History, and Government. A native of Virginia, Maury secured a midshipman's warrant in 1825 and made three extended cruises during the following nine years. His experiences soon made him recognize the need for a naval school or even a school ship, and in a series of articles contributed to the Southern Literary Messenger he set forth proposals for wide improvement in the service. His suggestions won the attention of senior officers in the Navy and finally, in 1845, he saw his dream realized in the opening of the Naval School at Annapolis. Commander Maury's Wind and Current Charts and Sailing Directions issued while he was in charge of the Depot of Charts and Instruments at Washington brought him world-wide recognition; and the Pilot Charts of today, which are sent out monthly by the Hydrographic Office, bear a caption stating that they are founded upon his researches. He resigned from the United States Navy in 1861 and offered his services to the Confederate States Government.
Rear Admiral William Thomas Sampson, the Naval Academy's Superintendent from 1886 to 1890, is remembered by Sampson Hall which contains the academic department of Electrical Engineering. He entered the Academy from New York in 1857, was graduated at the head of his class, and when he returned for tours of duty as an instructor of midshipmen in after years he did much toward expanding the work in physics and chemistry and electrical engineering.
The Marine Engineering building, Isherwood Hall, serves as an appropriate memorial to Chief Engineer Benjamin Franklin Isherwood, mechanical engineer and naval architect who entered the newly established engineer corps of the Navy in 1844. While stationed at the Navy Department in 1852- 53, Isherwood designed the first feathering paddle-wheels used in the United States Navy. He became Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy in 1861 and personally directed the design and construction of machinery necessary to expand the United States' equipment afloat, from 19 steam propelled vessels in 1861 to 600 steam vessels of all descriptions by the end of the Civil War.
An annex to this building has been most appropriately designated as Griffin Hall in memory of Rear Admiral Robert S. Griffin of Virginia who graduated with the Class of 1878. He served as Chief of the Bureau of Engineering during World War I. Another annex is Melville Hall which honors the memory of Rear Admiral George Wallace Melville who entered the Engineer Corps in 1861. Interested in polar exploration, Melville volunteered for service as Chief Engineer of the Jeanette in the DeLong Expedition 1879. He was appointed by President Cleveland, Chief of the Bureau of Steam Engineering in 1887 and held that assignment for sixteen and one-half years.
Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger who served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1907 to 1909 is recalled by Badger Road. He entered the Academy as a Cadet Midshipman in 1869 and graduated eighth in a class of twenty-nine.
Brownson Road, along the southeast boundary of Farragut Field, has been named in honor of Rear Admiral Willard H. Brownson, who served as Commandant of Midshipmen in 1894 and as Superintendent from 1902 to 1906.
McNair Road was named for Rear Admiral Frederick Valette McNair who entered the Academy from Pennsylvania and was graduated in 1857. His record for dependability and initiative led to positions of responsibility throughout his long naval career. He served as head of the Department of Seamanship at the Naval Academy from 1871 to 1875. Three years later he returned as Commandant of Midshipmen, and in 1898 he was named as Superintendent, which office he held for two years.
The extensive parade ground on the seaward side of Bancroft Hall honors the memory of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. This is known as Farragut Field. This famous officer received his midshipman's warrant when less than ten years of age. He saw service in the War of 1812 aboard the frigate Essex commanded by his foster father Commodore David Porter, he was commissioned lieutenant at the age of twenty-four, and he won distinction during the War between the States when given command of an expedition against New Orleans. His flagship, the sloop of war Hartford, became almost synonymous with his name after the success at New Orleans and again at Mobile Bay. In after years when the Hartford was used as a training ship for midshipmen, the story of her gallant skipper was soon learned by all who trod her decks.
Commodore Robert L. Phythian, who served as Superintendent from 1890 to 1894, is recalled by Phythian Road. Receiving his appointment as a midshipman from Kentucky, he was graduated in 1856. It is interesting to recall that athletics had received but little direct attention until this officer's administration. On Thanksgiving Day of 1890 the midshipmen's football team, having journeyed to the Military Academy at West Point, brought down the cadets in defeat with a score of 24 to 0. This was the first football game between the two services.
Rear Admiral Philip Henry Cooper of New York, a member of the Class of 1863, is recalled by Cooper Road. He served at the Academy, as a young officer, in the departments of Seamanship and Mathematics and had opportunity to learn something of the school's need for expansion. He was selected as Superintendent in 1894 while holding the rank of captain. The following year when the Board of Visitors made strong recommendations for extensive improvements at the Academy, Captain Cooper proved to be a staunch supporter. It is said that the most important accomplishment of his administration was the inception of the rebuilding of the old school.
Colonel Robert Means Thompson, a graduate of the Naval Academy Class of 1868, who resigned from the Navy in 1871, has been honored by having his name given the large football stadium at the southwest end of Farragut Field. Always interested in the Academy, he kept in close touch with his Alma Mater and as a strong advocate of athletics he was the organizer of the Navy Athletic Association.
Eberle Road, along the northeast side of Thompson Stadium, was named in compliment to Rear Admiral Edward W. Eberle of Texas who so successfully served as Superintendent of the Naval Academy from 1915 to 1919—through the period of expansion of World War I. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal at the close of the war, and he served as Chief of Naval Operations from 1923 to 1927. As a young officer he had served on the Oregon, making the famous cruise around Cape Horn in the Spanish-American War, and he commanded her forward turret in the Battle of Santiago.
Rear Admiral William F. Fullam, who preceded Admiral Eberle as Superintendent, is recalled by Fullam Road which extends from Buchanan Road to Dahlgren Hall. Recognized as an authority in ordnance, Fullam was called to the Academy as Head of Department of Ordnance in 1883. His shore stations in later years included the Training Stations at Newport and at Great Lakes.
The only building at the Naval Academy to be dedicated in the presence of the officer for whom it was named is Hubbard Boat House. It was dedicated on April 19, 1930, and Rear Admiral John Hubbard, then over eighty years of age, was the honor guest of the occasion. He entered the Naval Academy as a midshipman in 1866, became interested in rowing as a recreation, and was influential in organizing the midshipman crews for interclass competitions. In 1870 he served as stroke of the varsity crew which was the first to represent the Academy as a whole in any athletic event. Their race, over a three mile course, held at Annapolis on May 28, 1870, with the Quaker City Boat Club of Philadelphia, was the first in this country in which the "sliding stroke" was used.
Sands Road was named in honor of Rear Admiral James Hoban Sands who received his appointment to the Academy from Maryland and was graduated in 1863. He saw active service with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron during the Civil War and participated in the evacuation of Charleston and both attacks on Fort Fisher. Various assignments ashore and afloat claimed him until 1905 when he was selected to fill the office of Superintendent.
In compliment to Rear Admiral John Marshall Bowyer, the Academy's 21st Superintendent (1909-11), Bowyer Road received its name. Bowyer entered the Academy from Iowa and was graduated with the Class of 1874. During the war with Spain he served as executive officer of the Princeton; in 1899 he was ordered to the Philippines to assist in suppressing the insurrection there; and later he saw active duty in North China during the Boxer trouble.
Dewey Basin which served as a safe mooring place for the historic yacht America for many years, and which is used for the Academy's cutters, half-raters, and other small craft, bears the name of Admiral George Dewey, the hero of Manila Bay. Born in Montpelier, Vermont, in 1837, this famous officer received his appointment as a midshipman in 1854 and stood five in a class of fifteen at the time of graduation. At the beginning of the Civil War he was commissioned a lieutenant and assigned to the frigate Mississippi. He took part in important engagements throughout the war, and in 1868 he was ordered to the Naval Academy where he was given immediate command of the Constitution, the Santee, and other vessels used in the instruction of midshipmen. Assignments at sea followed, and he held commands with the Asiatic Squadron and with the European Squadron during the ensuing years. His next important shore duty was at the Navy Department in Washington, and in 1898 he received the command with which he won distinction in the Spanish- American War. His promotion from Commodore to Rear Admiral came in May, 1898, and the following year, through a special act of Congress, he was made Admiral of the Navy.
Santee Road and Santee Basin, while not memorializing any of the personnel of the naval service, bring to mind the old frigate Santee on which many midshipmen of the old Academy began their careers afloat. Tradition says her keel was laid at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in 1820 and that she was not launched until thirty-five years after. She was used as a training ship for a number of years, and when she had outlived her usefulness in that capacity she was housed over and used as the Station Ship of the Academy. In 1912 she was replaced by the Reina Mercedes and left her moorings to be sold and demolished.
The Naval Academy's Postgraduate School building, Halligan Hall, bears the name of Rear Admiral John Halligan, Jr., a brilliant officer who served aboard the Brooklyn in the Spanish-American War. Young Halligan graduated one in the Class of 1898, he served with the United States forces in France during World War I, and he was named Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy in 1927.
The road directly in front of the Postgraduate School was named in memory of Rear Admiral Richard Wainwright, a former Superintendent whose father, Commander Richard Wainwright, commanded the historic Hartford, flagship of Admiral Farragut, in the Mississippi operations of 1862.
Trophies of all descriptions, monuments, memorial windows, and memorial tablets, which one encounters in the course of daily routine at the Naval Academy, serve as strong influences upon the youth in training. Each has a story all its own. It may be the polished sword of the daring John Paul Jones; it may be the ensign of the frigate Insurgente, captured by the U.S.S. Constellation in 1799; it may be the simple Herndon monument in Lovers' Lane; it may be the foremast of the U.S.S. Maine; it may be the sextant of the gig of the Saginaw; it may be the tablet erected by the Class of 1909 in memory of Ensign William D. Billingsley, the first naval aviator to meet death in the performance of duty; or it may be any one of the battle flags taken by our Navy from her enemies in World War I or World War II, displayed in the Naval Academy Museum. An atmosphere of example, of loyalty, and of duty, has been built up and continues to grow in this environment of history and tradition. The United States Naval Academy of today is an embodiment of national ideals with a proud record of one hundred years. It serves not only as a noble monument to an illustrious past but as an inspiration to "carry on" and thus perpetuate the traditions of the Naval Service.