Since its founding in 1873, the U.S. Naval Institute has provided a unique and independent forum, giving voice to those who serve and to others who care deeply about this great nation and the Sea Services that defend it. To celebrate a legacy of sustained impact and to launch a new era of accomplishment, the Naval Institute is undertaking its first ever comprehensive campaign, “The Power to Inform, Convene, and Inspire.”
The “Power to Convene” is the most visible component of this campaign and will stimulate new thinking by creating a physical flagship—the Jack C. Taylor Conference Center—to draw people into the heart of the Naval Institute’s cherished open forum. The Center is named for the World War II fighter pilot who returned from the war to launch a car-rental business named for the carrier from which he flew. The late Jack Taylor credited military service with preparing him for business success. He founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car using the same principles of honor, courage, and commitment he learned flying Hellcats off the deck of the USS Enterprise (CV-6).
The Jack C. Taylor Conference Center will be situated adjacent to the Naval Institute’s Beach Hall headquarters on the Naval Academy Yard. It will include a 400-plus seat auditorium, five breakout rooms, and a rooftop terrace. The Conference Center will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including integrated television production capabilities for livestreaming, broadcast, and webcast. It will be able to accommodate meetings up to top secret/SCI and will be LEED Silver certified.
The other campaign components are more familiar to Naval Institute members and make up the core of the Naval Institute’s educational mission. As these components “Inform” and “Inspire,” they also help sustain an independent forum by continuing the Institute’s commitment to truth, nonpartisanship, and open dialogue:
- Publishing Proceedings and Naval History magazines and the Naval Institute Press titles, including the new Dead Reckoning graphic novel imprint.
- Stimulating independent thought and knowledge about sea power through USNI News, essay contests, conferences, and events.
- Introducing the next generation of leaders to the naval profession through sponsored student memberships for midshipmen, cadets, and others.
- Keeping alive the lessons of naval history through the creation and preservation of primary-source material via our Oral History program and vast photographic archives.
- Strengthening the Naval Institute’s ability to attract and retain key staff professionals through support for the Gordon England Chair in Professional Naval Literature and the James Stavridis Proceedings Chair.
- Unrestricted Support—allowing the Board to direct funds where they are most needed to underpin mission-critical programs and to ensure the Naval Institute’s resiliency.
There are many opportunities to honor those you admire or to memorialize your own dedication to the Naval Institute with permanent recognition in the new Conference Center. For information about the campaign—and, especially, if you wish to help by making a tax-deductible donation—please contact Heather Lancaster at (410) 295-1048 or [email protected], or visit our campaign microsite at campaign.usni.org.