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SERVING THE BEST TROOPS IN THE WORLD 
Happy Birthday United States Naval Academy! This week we celebrate the birthday of The United States Naval Academy! 
The Naval Academy was founded in 1845 by the Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft, in Annapolis, MD. The history of the Academy has often reflected the history of the United States itself. The U.S. Navy has moved from a fleet of sail and steam-powered ships to a high tech fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships as well as supersonic aircraft. The Academy has changed also. The Naval Academy gives young men and women the up-to-date academic and professional training needed to be effective naval and marine officers in their assignments after graduation. 
On September 13, 1842, the American Brig Somers set sail from the Brooklyn Navy Yard on one of the most significant cruises in American naval history. It was a school ship for the training of teenage naval apprentice volunteers who would hopefully be inspired to make the Navy a career.
However, discipline deteriorated on the Somers and it was determined by a court of inquiry aboard ship that Midshipman Philip Spencer and his two chief confederates, Boatswains Mate Samuel Cromwell and Seaman Elisha Small, were guilty of a "determined attempt to commit a mutiny."
The three were hanged at the yardarm and the incident cast doubt over the wisdom of sending midshipmen directly aboard ship to learn by doing. News of the Somers mutiny shocked the country. 
Through the efforts of the Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft, the Naval School was established without Congressional funding, at a 10-acre Army post named Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland, on October 10, 1845, with a class of 50 midshipmen and seven professors. The curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy, and French.
George Bancroft (Worcester, Massachusetts, October 3, 1800 – Washington, DC, January 17, 1891) was an American historian and statesman who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state and at the national level. During his tenure as U.S. Secretary of the Navy, he established the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1845. Among his best-known writings is the magisterial series, History of the United States, from the Discovery of the American Continent.
In 1850 the Naval School became the United States Naval Academy. A new curriculum went into effect requiring midshipmen to study at the Academy for four years and to train aboard ships each summer. That format is the basis of a far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the Naval Academy today. As the U.S. Navy grew over the years, the Academy expanded. The campus of 10 acres increased to 338. The original student body of 50 midshipmen grew to a brigade size of 4,000. Modern granite buildings replaced the old wooden structures of Fort Severn.
 Congress authorized the Naval Academy to begin awarding bachelor of science degrees in 1933. The Academy later replaced a fixed curriculum taken by all midshipmen with the present core curriculum plus 18 major fields of study, a wide variety of elective courses and advanced study and research opportunities. The Naval Academy celebrated its Centennial on October 10, 1945. Three special platoons of midshipmen paraded in uniforms of 1845,1870, and 1900. During the century of its existence, the nation has taken part in five wars: Mexican, Civil War, Spanish- American, First World War, and Second World War. About 18,563 midshipmen have graduated to date, including the class of 1946. 
Climbing Herndon Monument, 1945 In July of 1963, The U. S. Naval Academy was officially designated a National Historic Site by the Department of the Interior pursuant to the Historic Sites Act of August 21,1935. Notification was made to the Secretary of the Navy by the Secretary of the Interior's letter dated August 21, 1961. And also that year, Roger Staubach (USNA 1965) was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He is the only winner of the Thompson Trophy three years running. 
Roger Staubach, Class of 1965 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 13 to 14 percent of entering plebes--or freshmen--and they pursue the same academic and professional training as do their male classmates. 
Incoming Plebes-First Year Women Attended the Naval Academy, 1976 
Climbing Herndon Monument, 1976 
September, 1980 - Score: Navy 33 - Army 6 | Game played at Veterans Stadium
On July 30, 1987, The Computing Sciences Accreditation Board (CSAB) forwarded its final report and granted accreditation for the Computer Science program at the United States Naval Academy. To this day, this nationally recognized and accredited department is dedicated to remaining on the leading edge of research and technology. Both the CS and IT majors are dynamic and vital components of the Naval Academy's academic program. January, 1995 The kickoff 150th anniversary celebration is held in Alumni Hall. "An Evening Under the Stars" features 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 academy astronauts. 
The Percussion Ensemble September 23, 1998, Freedom 7, America's first space capsule is placed on display at the visitor center as the centerpiece of the "Grads in Space" exhibit. The late Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepherd, class of 1945, flew Freedom 7 116.5 miles into space on May 5, 1961. His historic flight marked America's first step in the "space race". 
Freedom 7 and Shepherd in Flight 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. 
Every year, for the last 50 years, the Blue Angels have participated in the May Intercessional, Graduation Ceremonies, and Commissioning Week for Graduates of The United States Naval Academy. 
Climbing Herndon Monument, 2004 For More History Of The United States Naval Academy Go Here!
Every day, as the undergraduate college of the naval service, the United States Naval Academy strives to accomplish its mission to develop midshipmen “morally, mentally, and physically.”
Moral and ethical development is a fundamental element of all aspects of the Naval Academy experience. As future officers in the Navy or Marine Corps, midshipmen will someday be responsible for the priceless lives of many men and women and multi-million dollar equipment. 
Every midshipman's academic program begins with a core curriculum that includes courses in engineering, science, mathematics, humanities and social science. This is designed to provide a broad-based education that will qualify the midshipmen for practically any career field in the Navy or Marine Corps. At the Naval Academy, the American people invest in the future of our nation. This is where many of our nation's finest young people make the commitment to serve their country, as so many have before them.
FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. Let's have fun! We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity. We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon. We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way. God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always |
