United States Naval Academy

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United States Naval Academy
Motto:	Ex Scientia Tridens (From Knowledge, Seapower)
Established:	October 10, 1845
Type:	Federal military academy
Superintendent:	VADM Jeffrey Fowler, USN
Undergraduates:	4,400
Location:	Annapolis, Maryland, USA
Campus:	Naval base, 338 acres (1.4 km²)
Athletics:	Extensive varsity and intramural program
Colors:	Navy Blue █ and Gold █
Mascot:	Bill the Goat
Website:	www.usna.edu

The United States Naval Academy is an undergraduate college in Annapolis, Maryland that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The Academy often is referred to simply as "Annapolis" although naval officers normally refer to it in conversation as "The Academy," "The Boat School," or "Canoe U." Sports media refer to the Academy as Navy; this usage is officially endorsed. ROTC graduates, Officer Candidate School graduates as well as cadets from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, and the United States Military Academy (West Point), USNA's traditional rivals, often refer to the Naval Academy as "Canoe U or "Shipwreck Tech"." The U.S. Naval Academy was established October 10, 1845.

The Academy's motto is ex scientia tridens, which is Latin for "from knowledge, seapower" (the trident, emblem of the god Neptune, representing seapower)".

Contents 1 Description 2 Mission statement 3 History 3.1 The Civil War years 3.2 From the Civil War to World War I 3.3 World War I to World War II 3.4 World War II to present 3.5 Rank Structure 4 Campus ("The Yard") 5 Supervision of the Academy 6 Faculty 6.1 Permanent Military Professors (PMP) 7 Student Activities 7.1 Athletics 7.2 Other extra-curricular activities 8 Notable graduates 9 Appointment process 9.1 Admissions requirements 10 Curricula 10.1 Moral education 10.2 Small Satellite Program 11 Women at the Naval Academy 12 Items of interest at the Academy 13 Bibliography 14 References 15 See also 16 External links

[edit] Description

The USNA's campus is in Annapolis, Maryland, on the banks of the Severn River and Chesapeake Bay.

Students at the Naval Academy are referred to by their military rank (Midshipman). Upon graduation, most Naval Academy Midshipmen are commissioned as Ensigns in the U.S. Navy or Second Lieutenants in the Marine Corps and must serve a minimum of five years after their commissioning. Foreign midshipmen are commissioned into the armed forces of their native countries. Since 1959, midshipmen have been able to "cross-commission," or request a commission in the Air Force, Army, or Coast Guard, provided they meet that service's eligibility standards. Every year, a small number of graduates do this, usually in a one-for-one "trade" with a similarly inclined cadet at one of the other service academies.

Midshipmen who resign or are expelled from the academy in their first two years incur no military service obligation. Those who are separated — voluntarily or involuntarily — after that time are required to serve on active duty in an enlisted status, usually for two to four years. Alternatively, separated former Midshipmen can reimburse the government for their educational expenses, though the sum is often in excess of $200,000.

There is no graduate school directly associated with the Naval Academy. Instead, the Navy operates the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval War College separately. The Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) is the official prep school for the Naval, Merchant Marine, and Coast Guard Academies.

[edit] Mission statement

The mission statement of the U.S. Naval Academy is

“

To develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to provide graduates who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.[1]

”

[edit] History

The institution was founded as the Naval School in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft. The campus was established at Annapolis on the grounds of the former U.S. Army post Fort Severn. The school opened on October 10 with 50 Midshipmen students and seven professors. The decision to establish an academy on land may have been in part a result of the Somers Affair while that vessel was being used for officer training. Commodore Matthew Perry had a considerable interest in naval education, supporting an apprentice system to train new seamen, and helped establish the curriculum for the United States Naval Academy. He was also a vocal proponent of modernization of the Navy.

Originally a course of study for five years was prescribed. Only the first and last were spent at the school with the other three being passed at sea. The present name was adopted when the school was reorganized in 1850 and placed under the supervision of the chief of the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography. Under the immediate charge of the superintendent, the course of study was extended to seven years with the first two and the last two to be spent at the school and the intervening three years at sea. The four years of study were made consecutive in 1851 and practice cruises were substituted for the three consecutive years at sea. The first class of Naval Academy students graduated on June 10, 1854.

[edit] The Civil War years

At the outbreak of the American Civil War the three upper classes were detached and ordered to sea.

The academy was moved to Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island in May 1861, but it was brought back to Annapolis in the summer of 1865.

[edit] From the Civil War to World War I

The Spanish-American War greatly increased the academy's importance and the campus was almost wholly rebuilt and much enlarged during 1899-1906. During 1869, Charles Dwight Sigsbee (1845-1923) was assigned duty at Annapolis before serving as a hydrographer in the Bureau of Navigation (1893-1897). He later became Chief Intelligence Officer of the Office of Naval Intelligence (1900-1903). In 1914 the Midshipmen Drum and Bugle corps was formed and by 1922 it went defunct.^[2]

In 1879 Robert F. Lopez was the first Hispanic-American to graduate from the academy.

[edit] World War I to World War II

The Navy rowing crew won the gold medal at 1920 Summer Olympics Games held in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1923 The Department of Physical Training was established. The Naval Academy football team played the University of Washington in the Rose Bowl tying 14–14. In 1925 the Second-class ring dance was started. In 1925 the Midshipmen Drum and Bugle Corps was formally reestablished.^[3] In 1926 "Navy Blue and Gold", composed by organist and choirmaster J. W. Crosley, was first sung in public. It became a tradition to sing this alma mater song at the end of every football game, and on Graduation Day. In 1926 Navy won the National Collegiate Football Championship title. In the fall of 1929 the United States Secretary of the Navy gave his approval for graduates to compete for Rhodes scholarships. Six graduates were selected for that honor that same year. The Association of American Universities. accredited the Naval Academy curriculum October 30, 1930.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law an act of Congress on May 25, 1933 providing for the Bachelor of Science degree for Naval, Military, and Coast Guard Academies. Four years later, Congress authorized the Superintendent to award a Bachelor of Science degree to all living graduates. Reserve officer training was re-established in anticipation of World War II in 1941. A total of 3,319 graduates were commissioned during World War II. In 1945 A Department of Aviation was established. That year a Vice Admiral, Aubrey W. Fitch, became superintendent. The Naval Academy celebrated its Centennial. During the century of its existence, roughly 18,563 midshipmen had graduated, including the class of 1946.^[4]

[edit] World War II to present

On June 3, 1949 Wesley A. Brown became the first African-American to graduate. The Navy 8-man rowing crew won the gold medal at 1952 Summer Olympic Games held in Helsinki, Finland. They were also named National Intercollegiate Champions.^[5] In 1955 the tradition of greasing Herndon Monument for plebes to climb to exchange their plebe hats for midshipman's hats was started. The Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, funded by donations, was dedicated September 26, 1959.

Joe Bellino class of 1961 was awarded the Heisman Trophy on June 22, 1960. In 1961 the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference was started. The Department of the Interior designated the U. S. Naval Academy a National Historic Site on August 21, 1961. In 1963, Roger Staubach, class of 1965, was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He is still the only winner of the Thompson Trophy three years in a row. Professor Samuel Massie became the first African-American faculty member in 1966. On June 4, 1969 the first designated engineering degrees are granted to qualified graduates of the class of 1969.^[6]

The 1970s brought change for women, In 1972 Lieutenant Commander Georgia Clark became the first woman officer instructor. Dr. Rae Jean Goodman was appointed to the faculty, the first civilian woman. Later that year a decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia terminated compulsory chapel attendance. In September of 1973 the library facility complex was completed and named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz class of 1905.

On August 8, 1975 Congress authorized women to attend service academies. The class of 1980 is inducted with 81 women midshipmen. In 1980 the USNA included Hispanic/Latino as a racial category for demographic purposes. There were four women who identified themselves as Hispanics in the Class of 1981. These women become the first Hispanic females to graduate from the academy. They were Carmel Gilliland who had the highest class rank, Lilia Ramirez, who retired with the rank of Commander, Ina Marie Gomez and Trinora Pinto. ^[7] In 1979 "June Week" was renamed "Commissioning Week" because graduation had moved to May.^[8]

In May of 1980 Elizabeth Anne Belzer (later Rowe) became the first woman graduate. On May 24, 1984, Kristine Holderied became the first woman to graduate at the head of the class. In addition, the class of 1984 included the first naturalized Korean-American graduates, all choosing commissions in the US Navy. The four Korean-American ensigns were Walter Lee, Thomas Kymn, Andrew Kim, and Se-Hun Oh.

On July 30, 1987 the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) granted accreditation for the Computer Science program.^[9] In 1991, Midshipman Juliane Gallina, class of 1992, became the first woman brigade commander. On January 29, 1994 the first genderless service assignment was held. All billets were opened equally to men and women with the exception of special warfare and submarine duty.

The initial 150th anniversary celebration was held in Alumni Hall on January 13, 1995. "An Evening Under the Stars." It featured a Naval Academy Band/Glee Club concert, the premiere showing of a documentary film, U. S. Naval Academy; 150 Years in Annapolis, and introduction of astronauts who were academy graduates.

On March 12, 1995 Lieutenant Commander Wendy Lawrence, class of 1981, became a mission specialist in the space shuttle Endeavor. She is the first woman graduate to fly in space. A postage stamp commemorating the Naval Academy's founding was issued on October 10, 1995. Freedom 7. America's first space capsule was placed on display at the visitor center as the centerpiece of the "Grads in Space" exhibit on September 23, 1998. The late Rear Admiral Alan Shepherd, class of 1945, had flown Freedom 7 116.5 miles (187.5 km) into space on May 5, 1961. His historic flight marked America's first step in the space race.^[10]

On September 11, 2001 the Academy lost 14 alumni in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon. The Academy was placed under unprecedented high security.^[11]

In August 2007 Superintendent Admiral James Fowler changed academy policy to limit liberty, required more squad interaction and helped midshipmen to realize that "we are a nation at war"^[12]

On Saturday November 3, 2007 the Navy Football team defeated Notre Dame for the first time in 43 years 46-44 in triple overtime.

In November 2007, Memorial Hall was the venue for a 50 nation "Annapolis Conference" on a Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

[edit] Rank Structure

Midshipmen are not classified as freshmen, sophomores, junior, and seniors. Instead they are classified fourth class, third class, second class, and first class.

Fourth Class, the lowest rank of midshipmen structure are also knowns as "plebes," from the Latin "plebeian," the lowest class of Roman citizen. Because the first year at The Academy is one of transformation from a civilian into a future navy officer or Marine, they are forced to conform to a number of rules and regulations not placed on their seniors, the upper three classes of Midshipmen, and have additional tasks and responsibilities that will disappear upon their promotion to Midshipmen Third Class.

Third Class Midshipmen have been assimilated into the Brigade and are treated with more respect because they are upperclassmen. They are commonly called "Youngsters". Because of their new stature and rank, the youngsters are allowed such privileges as watching television, listening to music, and watching movies.

Second Class Midshipmen are charged with training plebes. They report directly to the first class, and issue orders as necessary to carry out their responsibilities. Second Class Midshipmen are allowed to drive their own cars (but may not park them on campus) and are allowed to enter or exit The Yard (campus) in civilian attire.

First Class Midshipmen have at once the most relaxed life in the Brigade, and yet the most challenging one. While they must maintain mandatory sports activities and academics, they are also charged with the leadership of the Brigade. They are commonly called "Firsties". Firsties are allowed to park their cars on campus, and have greater leave and liberties than any other class.^[13]

[edit] Campus ("The Yard")

The campus (or "Yard") has grown from a 40,000 m² (10 acre) Army post named Fort Severn in 1845 to a 1.37 km² (338 acre) campus in the 21st century. By comparison, the United States Air Force Academy is 18,000 acres (73 km²) and United States Military Academy is 16,000 acres (65 km²). Its principal buildings are as follows:

• Nimitz Library (housing the departments of Language Studies, Economics and Political Science, plus the library collection itself). Named for Chester W. Nimitz.
• Rickover Hall (housing the departments of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Ocean Engineering, Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering). Named for Hyman G. Rickover.
• Maury Hall (housing the departments of Weapons and Systems Engineering plus Electrical Engineering). Named for Matthew Fontaine Maury.
• Michelson Hall (housing the departments of Computer Science and Chemistry). Named for Albert Abraham Michelson.
• Chauvenet Hall (housing the departments of Mathematics, Physics and Oceanography). Named for William Chauvenet.
• Sampson Hall (housing the departments of English and History). Named for William T. Sampson.
• Luce Hall (housing the departments of Professional Development and Leadership, Ethics, and Law). Named for Stephen Luce.
• Mahan Hall (containing a theater along with the old library in the Hart Room, which has now been converted into a lounge and meeting room). Named for Alfred Thayer Mahan.
• The chapel (also, beneath it, is the crypt of John Paul Jones).
• Alumni Hall (capable of holding the entire Brigade of Midshipmen and hosting various sporting events, such as basketball).
• Bancroft Hall (the midshipmen's quarters and the World's largest dormitory).^[14][15] Named for George Bancroft.
• Dahlgren Hall (containing an ice hockey rink and a restaurant area). Named for John A. Dahlgren.
• Lejeune Hall (built in 1982 - home to an Olympic class swimming pool, a mat room for wrestling and hand-to-hand martial arts and the Athletic Hall of Fame). Named for John A. Lejeune.
• MacDonough Hall (holds a full-scale gymnastics area and two boxing rings as well as alternate swimming pools). Named for Thomas MacDonough.
• The Officers' and Faculty Club and officers quarters spread around the Yard.
• Ricketts Hall (Football, Lacrosse, Basketball offices) houses the locker room for the Navy Varsity Football team. Winner of five straight Commander-in-Chief trophies. Also home to the Naval Academy's Varsity sport weight room, where Midshipman athletes train.
• Preble Hall houses the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.^[16]

[edit] Supervision of the Academy

In 1850 the academy was placed under the jurisdiction of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography but was transferred to the Bureau of Navigation when that organization was established in 1862. The academy was placed under the direct care of the Navy Department in 1867, but for many years the Bureau of Navigation provided administrative routine and financial management.

As of 2004, the Superintendent of the Naval Academy reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. The current Superintendent is Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler.^[17][18]

The Commandant of Midshipmen is currently Captain Margaret D. Klein, USN who assumed that office in December 2006.

[edit] Faculty

The faculty is roughly evenly divided between civilian professors and military instructors. The civilian professors nearly all have a Ph.D. and can be awarded tenure, usually upon promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor. Very few of the military instructors have a Ph.D. but nearly all have a Master's degree. Most of them are assigned to the Academy for only two or three years.

[edit] Permanent Military Professors (PMP)

A small number of military instructors are designated as Permanent Military Professors (PMP), all of whom have Ph.D.'s. The PMPs remain at the Academy until statutory retirement. Most of them are commanders in the Navy; a few are captains. Like civilian professors, they seek academic promotion to the rank of Associate Professor and Professor. However, they are not eligible for tenure. Additionally, there are Adjunct Professors, hired to fill temporary shortages in various disciplines. The Adjunct Professors are not eligible for tenure.

[edit] Student Activities

[edit] Athletics

The U.S. Naval Academy's varsity sports teams have no official name but usually are referred to in media as "the Midshipmen" (since all athletes are, in fact, midshipmen), or more informally as "the Mids." The term "middies" is generally considered derogatory. The sports teams' mascot is a goat named "Bill."

The Midshipmen participate in the NCAA's Division I-A as an independent (i.e., not a member of any conference) in football and in the NCAA Division I-level Patriot League in many other sports. The college fields 28 varsity sports teams and 18 club sports teams.^[19]

The most important sporting event at the academy is the annual Army-Navy Game. The three major service academies (Navy, Air Force, and Army) compete for the Commander in Chief's Trophy, which is awarded to the academy that defeats the others in football that year (or retained by the previous winner in the event of a three-way tie).

Naval Academy sports teams have many accomplishments at the international and national levels. In 1926, Navy's football team won the U.S. national championship based on both the Boand and Houlgate mathematical poll systems.^[20], and the Navy men's lacrosse team won 21 USILL or USILA national championships and was the NCAA Division I runner-up in 1975 and 2004. The men's fencing team won NCAA Division I championships in 1950, 1959, and 1962 and was runner-up in 1948, 1953, 1960, and 1963,^[21] and NCAA Division I championships were also earned by the 1945 men's outdoor track and field team^[22] and the 1964 men's soccer team.^[23] In basketball, the Navy men's team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 11 times and tied for fifth place in 1954 and 1986.

The college's crew team won Olympic gold medals in men's eights in 1920 and 1952,^[24] and from 1907 to 1995 at Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta the team earned 30 championships, was runner-up 29 times, and had 31 third-place finishes.^[25] In intercollegiate shooting the Naval Academy has won nine National Rifle Association rifle team trophies, seven air pistol team championships, and five standard pistol team titles.^[26] In addition, the men's squash team was the national nine-man team champion in 1957, 1959, and 1967,^[27] and the women's lacrosse team was U.S. Lacrosse WDIA national runner-up in 2001 and 2007. In 2007 the men's rugby team placed in the final four for the ninth time; the men's team was the national runner-up in 1994.^[28]

Participation in athletics is, in general, mandatory at the Naval Academy and most Midshipmen not on an intercollegiate team must participate actively in intramural or club sports. There are exceptions for non-athletic Brigade Support Activities such as YP Squadron (a professional surface warfare training activity providing midshipmen the opportunity to earn the Craftmaster Badge) or the Drum and Bugle Corps.

Varsity letter winners wear a specially issued blue cardigan with a large gold "N" patch affixed. Teams that beat Army in a year are awarded a gold star to affix near the "N" for each such victory.

There is an unofficial (but previous National Champion) croquet team.^[29] Legend has it that in the early 1980s, a Mid and a Johnnie (slang for a student enrolled at St. John's College, Annapolis), were in a bar and the Mid challenged the Johnnie by stating that Midshipmen could beat St. John's at any sport. The St. John's student selected croquet. Since then, thousands attend the annual croquet match between St. John's and the 28th Company^[30] of the Brigade of Midshipmen (originally the 34th Company before the Brigade was reduced to 30 companies). As of 2006,^[31] the Midshipmen had a record of 5 wins and 19 losses to the St John's team.

See also: Navy Midshipmen football

[edit] Other extra-curricular activities

Midshipmen have the opportunity to participate in a broad range of other extracurricular activities including musical performance groups (Drum & Bugle Corps, Men's Glee Club, Women's Glee Club, Gospel Choir, an annual musical, and a bagpipe band, the Pipes & Drums), religious organizations, academic honor societies, Campus Girl Scouts, the National Eagle Scout Association, a radio station, and Navy and Marine Corps professional activities (diving, flying, seamanship, and the Semper Fidelis Society for future Marines).

The Brigade once published a humor magazine called The Log, but this activity was discontinued in 2001. Among The Log's usual features were "Salty Sam," an anonymous member of the senior class who served as a gossip columnist, and the "Company Cuties," photos of male midshipmen's girlfriends. (This last was deemed offensive to women, and despite attempts to incorporate the boyfriends of female midshipmen in some issues, the "Company Cuties" were dropped from The Log's format by 1991.) ^[32] The Log was once featured in Playboy Magazine for its parody of the famous periodical, called "Playmid." "Playmid" was an issue of The Log in 1989. The "Playmid" issue was ordered destroyed by Rear Admiral Virgil I. Hill, the Academy Superintendent at the time, but a handful of copies did survive, including the one which Playboy later showed. Earlier Log attempts to parody Playboy were much more successful, with the April 18, 1969, version as the most famous; some sections of this issue can be seen online at an alumni website.

The Academy also hosts an annual Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference (NAFAC). During this event -the country's largest undergraduate foreign affairs conference - civilian and military delegates from across the nation and around the world gather in Annapolis to discuss pressing international issues, focusing on a new, specific topic each year. Past NAFAC speakers have included President George H. W. Bush, Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Dr. Condoleezza Rice, and General Wesley Clark. This gathering is organized and run by a Midshipman staff; many Midshipmen participate in the conference as moderators, presenters, and delegates as well.

[edit] Notable graduates

Main article: List of famous United States Naval Academy alumni

During the latter half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, the Naval Academy was the primary source of U.S. Naval officers. Naval Academy alumni now represent many of the U.S. Navy's most famous names.

USNA's graduates include 4,000 admirals and generals, one president, 19 members of Congress, five governors, 73 Medal of Honor recipients, and two Nobel Prize winners. As of 2006, 43 graduates of the Naval Academy have received a Rhodes scholarship.

More American astronauts have graduated from the Naval Academy than from any other undergraduate institution in the United States, including Alan Shepard, Wally Schirra, Jim Lovell, Bruce McCandless II and William McCool - a total of 51 as of 31 December 2006.

President Jimmy Carter graduated in the class of 1947 and served as an officer on conventionally powered submarines and in the nuclear power program.

Two midshipmen football players, Joe Bellino (Class of 1961) and Roger Staubach (Class of 1965), have won the Heisman Trophy. Both were drafted into the NFL and Staubach was later inducted into both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

[edit] Appointment process

By an Act of Congress passed in 1903, two appointments as Midshipmen were allowed for each senator, representative, and delegate in Congress, two for the District of Columbia, and five each year at large. Currently each member of Congress and the Vice President can have five appointees attending the Naval Academy at any time. When any appointee graduates or otherwise leaves the academy, a vacancy is created. Candidates are nominated by their senator, representative, or delegate in Congress, and those appointed at large are nominated by the Vice President. The process is not political and applicants do not have to know their Congressman to be nominated. Congressman generally nominate ten people per vacancy. They can nominate people in a competitive manner, or they can have a principal nomination. In a competitive nomination, all ten applicants are reviewed by the academy, to see who is the most qualified. If the congressman appoints a principal nominee, then as long as that candidate is physically, medically, and academically found qualified by the academy, he or she will be admitted, even if there are more qualified applicants. The degree of difficulty in obtaining a nomination varies greatly according to the number of applicants in a particular state. The process of obtaining a nomination typically consists of completing an application, completing one or more essays, and obtaining one or more letters of recommendation and often requires an interview either in person or over the phone. These requirements are set by the respective senator or congressman and are in addition to the USNA application.

Additional sources of appointment are open to children of career military personnel (100 per year); 170 appointments per year are for active duty United States Navy and United States Marine Corps enlisted personnel; 20 appointments per year are provided for Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipmen; and 65 appointments are available to children of military members who were killed in action, or were rendered 100% disabled due to injuries received in action, or are currently prisoners of war or missing in action. Typically five to ten candidates are nominated for each appointment, which are normally awarded competitively; candidates who do not receive the appointment they are competing for may still be admitted to the Academy as a qualified alternate. If a candidate is considered qualified but not picked up, they may receive an indirect admission to either a Naval Academy Foundation prep school or the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport; the following year, these candidates enlist in the Navy Reserve (or, in the case of prior enlisted members, remain in the Navy) and are eligible for Secretary of the Navy nominations, which are granted as a matter of course. To receive an appointment to the Naval Academy, students at the Naval Academy Preparatory School must first pass with a 2.0 QPA (A mix of GPA and Fitness Assessments), as well as receive a recommendation for appointment from the Commanding Officer.

Additionally, children of Medal of Honor recipients do not need a nomination but only need to qualify for admission.^[33]

[edit] Admissions requirements

To be admitted, candidates must be between seventeen and twenty-three years of age upon entrance, unmarried with no children, and of good moral character. The current process includes a college application, personality testing, standardized testing, and personal references. Candidates for admission must also undergo a physical aptitude test (the CFA or Candidate Fitness Assessment [formerly the Physical Readiness Examination]) as well as a complete physical exam including a separate visual acuity test to be eligible for appointment. A medical waiver will automatically be sought on behalf of candidates with less than 20/20 vision, as well as a range of other injuries or illnesses. The physical aptitude test is most often administered by a high school physical education teacher or sports team coach.^[34]

A small number of international students, usually from smaller allied or friendly countries, are admitted into each class. (International students from larger allies, such as Britain and France, typically come as shorter-term exchange students from their national naval colleges or academies.) For the class of 2009, 11 international students were admitted from 10 different countries—two from Guyana and one each from Honduras, Ireland, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.^[35]

[edit] Curricula

The Naval Academy received accreditation as an approved "technological institution" in 1930. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law an act of Congress providing for the Bachelor of Science Degree for the Naval, Military, and Coast Guard Academies. The Class of 1933 was the first to receive this degree and have it written in the diploma. In 1937, an act of Congress extended to the Superintendent of the Naval Academy the authority to award the Bachelor of Science degree to all living graduates. The Academy later replaced a fixed curriculum taken by all midshipmen with the present core curriculum plus 21 major fields of study, a wide variety of elective courses and advanced study and research opportunities. Currently, all 21 majors are:^[36]

• Aerospace Engineering
• Arabic
• Chemistry
• Chinese
• Computer Science
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• English
• General Engineering
• General Science
• History
• Information Technology
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Naval Architecture
• Ocean Engineering
• Oceanography
• Physics
• Political Science
• Quantitative Economics
• Systems Engineering

[edit] Moral education

Moral and ethical development is fundamental to all aspects of the Naval Academy. From Plebe Summer through graduation, the Officer Development Program, a four-year integrated program, focuses on integrity, honor, and mutual respect based on the moral values of respect for human dignity, respect for honesty and respect for the property of others. One of the goals of the program is to develop midshipmen to possess a sense of their own moral beliefs and the ability to express them. Honor is emphasized through the Honor Concept of the Brigade of Midshipmen. Brigade Honor Committees composed of upper-class midshipmen are responsible for the education and training of the Honor Concept, midshipmen found in violation of the Honor Concept by their peers are separated from the Naval Academy.^[37]

[edit] Small Satellite Program

Main article: Small Satellite Program (United States Naval Academy)

The United States Naval Academy (USNA) Small Satellite Program (SSP)^[38] was founded in 1999 to actively pursue flight opportunities for miniature satellites designed, constructed, tested, and commanded or controlled by Midshipmen.

Currently under-development are the first generation MidSTAR I (USNA) and second generation MidSTAR II (USNA) satellites which stemmed from the USNA MidSTAR Program. Midstar I was launched March 8th, 2007.^[39]

[edit] Women at the Naval Academy

The Naval Academy first accepted women as Midshipmen in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of women to all of the service academies. Women comprise about 19 percent of entering plebes.^[40] They pursue the same academic and professional training as do their male classmates, except that certain physical aptitude standards for women are lower than for men, mirroring the standards of the Navy itself. Women have most recently composed about 17 percent of each graduating class, however this number continues to rise.

Captain Margaret D. Klein, became the first female Commandant of Midshipmen in December 2006 and is responsible for the military and professional development of the Brigade of Midshipmen. She was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, commissioned in 1981 and designated a Naval Flight Officer in 1983. She is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with a Bachelor of Science and a 1999 graduate of the University of Southern Maine with a Masters of Education.

Following the 2003 U.S. Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal and due to concern with sexual assault in the U.S. military the Department of Defense was required to establish a task force to investigate sexual harassment and assault at the United States military academies in the law funding the military for fiscal 2004. The report, issued August 25, 2005 showed that during 2004 50% of the women at Annapolis reported instances of sexual harassment while 99 incidents of sexual assault were reported ^[41]. There had been an earlier incident in 1990 which involved male midshipmen chaining a female midshipman to a urinal after she threw a snowball at him and then taking pictures of her ^[42].

Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Rodney Rempt issued a statement: "With the benefit of the Defense Task Force's assessment and recommendations, we will continue to strive to establish a climate which encourages reporting of these incidents, so we can support the victim and deal with allegations fairly and appropriately. The very idea that any member of the Naval Academy family could be part of an environment that fosters sexual harassment, misconduct, or even assault is of great concern to me, and it is contrary to all we are trying to do and achieve. Preventing and deterring this unacceptable behavior is a leadership issue that I and all the Academy leaders take to heart. The public trusts that the Service Academies will adhere to the highest standards and that we will serve as beacons that exemplify character, dignity and respect. We will increase our efforts to meet that trust." Superintendent Rempt has recently been criticized for not allowing former Navy quarterback Lamar Owens to graduate, despite his acquittal on a rape charge. Some alumni have attributed this to an overeagerness on Rempt's part to placate critics urging a crackdown on sexual assault and harassment. ^[43]

In 1979, James H. Webb published a provocative essay opposing the integration of women at the Naval Academy titled "Women Can't Fight." Webb was an instructor at the Naval Academy in 1979 when he wrote the article for Washingtonian magazine that was critical of women in combat and of them attending the service academies. The article, in which he referred to the dorm at the Naval Academy that housed 4,000 men and 300 women as "a horny woman's dream," was written three years after the Academy admitted women. Webb said he did not write the headline.^[44]

On November 7, 2006, Webb was elected to the U.S. Senate from Virginia. His election opponent, then senator George Allen, raised the 1979 article as a campaign issue, depicting Webb as being opposed to women in military service. Webb's response read in part, "I am completely comfortable with the roles of women in today's military.... To the extent that my writings subjected women at the Academy or the active armed forces to undue hardship, I remain profoundly sorry."^[45] In a political advertisement for Allen five female graduates of the United States Naval Academy said the article helped foster an air of hostility and harassment towards females within the academy.

[edit] Items of interest at the Academy

• Japanese Bell. This was brought back to the United States by Commodore Matthew Perry following his famous mission to Japan in 1851. The bell is placed in front of Bancroft Hall and rung in a semi-annual ceremony for each victory that Navy has registered over Army, to include one of the nation's oldest football rivalries, the Army-Navy Game. The current bell is an exact replica of the original, which the United States Navy returned to the Japanese people in the 1980s.

• Tecumseh Statue. This statue is a bronze replica of the figurehead of ship-of-the-line USS Delaware. It was presented to the Academy by the Class of 1891. This bust, one of the most famous relics on the campus, is commonly known as Tecumseh. However, when it adorned the American man-of-war, it commemorated not Tecumseh but Tamanend, the revered Delaware chief who welcomed William Penn to America. The original wooden figurehead is in the Naval Academy fieldhouse. In times past, the bronze replica was considered a good-luck "mascot" for the midshipmen, who threw pennies at it and offered left-handed salutes whenever they wanted a 'favor', such as a sports win over West Point, or spiritual help for examinations. Today it is used as a morale booster during football weeks and on special occasions when Tecumseh is painted in themes to include super heroes, action heroes, humorous figures, a leprachaun (before Saint Patrick's Day) and a naval officer (during Commissioning Week).

• Battle ensigns. Famous flags of the U.S. Navy and captured flags from enemy ships are displayed throughout the academy. The most famous, perhaps, is the "Don't Give Up the Ship" flag flown by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813; it bears the dying words of Captain James Lawrence, captain of the USS Chesapeake. It was displayed in Memorial Hall, which is in the portion of Bancroft Hall open to the general public (It is currently undergoing restoration and a replica is in its place).

• Herndon Monument. Every year as part of the year end festivities, this monument is covered with lard and "Plebes" (freshmen or Fourth Class Midshipmen) attempt to climb the monument, remove a "dixie cup" (the headwear of a plebe) and put a hat ("cover") on top. This symbolizes the successful completion of their first year. Legend also has it that the midshipman who places the sailors cap upon the monument will be the first member of the class to reach the rank of Admiral. The Monument was commissioned by the Officers of the U.S. Navy as a tribute to Commander William Lewis Herndon (1813-1857) after his loss in the Pacific Mail Steamer Central America during a hurricane off the North Carolina coast on September 12, 1857. Herndon had followed the long time custom of the sea that a ship's captain is the last person to depart his ship in peril. It was erected in its current location on June 16, 1860 and has never been moved even though the Academy was completely rebuilt between 1899 and 1908.

• Naval Academy Chapel The historic Chapel, at the center of the campus, across from Herndon Monument, has a high dome visible throughout Annapolis.^[46] The Chapel was featured on a postal service stamp in 1995.^[47]

• Commodore Uriah P. Levy Center and Jewish Chapel,^[48] primarily funded with private donations, was dedicated on September 23, 2005. The Chapel is named after Commodore Uriah P. Levy and houses a Jewish chapel, the honor board, ethics, character learning center, officer development spaces, a social director, and academic boards. The architecture features Jerusalem stone and the exterior of the building is consistent with the existing architecture of nearby Bancroft Hall.

[edit] Bibliography

• Forney, Todd A. The Midshipman Culture and Educational Reform: The U.S. Naval Academy, 1946-76. Associated U. Press, 2004. 409 pp.
• H. Michael Gelfand. Sea Change at Annapolis: The United States Naval Academy, 1949-2000 U of North Carolina Press, 2006
• Karsten, Peter. The Naval Aristocracy: The Golden Age of Annapolis and the Emergence of Modern American Navalism. Free Press, 1972. 462 pp.
• Ross MacKenzie. Brief Points: An Almanac for Parents and Friends of U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen (2004)
• Todorich, Charles. The Spirited Years: A History of the Antebellum Naval Academy. Naval Institute Press, 1982. 215 pp.
• 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy
• William W. Jeffries Memorial Archives
• United States Naval Academy Soccer Team
• Naval Academy Bridge

[edit] External links

• The United States Naval Academy's official Web site
• United States Naval Academy Alumni Association Website
• United States Naval Academy Sports

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