USNA – Overview

GENERAL Established in 1845 through the efforts of then, Secretary Of The Navy, George Bancroft, the United States Naval Academy, also known as the YARD, is the US Navy’s Undergraduate College. It is an Institution that prepares young men and women to become professional Officers, in either the US Navy, or the US Marine Corps. PROFILE The YARD has a unique clarity of purpose that is expressed in its official Mission Statement. 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. This, then, places everyone - Faculty, Staff, and MIDs - on the same wavelength. It also encourages a sense of spirit and pride that is rarely found at few other Schools. The moral, mental, and physical elements of the YARD’s Programs are equally important, with all contributing to the qualities of an outstanding Naval Officer. Every MID's Academic Program begins with a core curriculum that includes courses in Engineering, Science, Mathematics, Humanities, and Social Science, designed to give a broad- based education so that MIDs will qualify for practically any US Navy or US Marine Corps Career Field. At the same time, the YARD’s Majors Program gives MIDs the opportunity to develop particular areas of academic interest. For especially capable and highly motivated MIDs, the YARD offers challenging Honors Programs and opportunities to start work on Postgraduate Degrees while still at the YARD. After four years at the YARD, the life and customs of Naval Service become second nature. First, MIDs learn to take orders from practically everyone; however, before long, MIDs acquire the responsibility for making decisions that can affect hundreds of other MIDs. Their professional classroom studies are backed by many hours of practical experience in Leadership and Naval Operations, including assignments with Naval and Marine Corps Units that is available through the YARD’s Summer Program. Moral-ethical development is a fundamental element of all aspects of the YARD’s experience. As future Naval or Marine Officers, MIDs will someday be responsible for the priceless lives of many men and women and multi-million dollar equipment. From PLEBE Summer through Graduation, the YARD’s 4-Year Character Development Program focuses on the attributes of Integrity, Honor, and Mutual Respect. One of the goals of this program is to develop MIDs who possess a clearer sense of their own moral beliefs and the ability to articulate them. Honor is emphasized by means of the Honor Concept. A System which was originally formulated in 1951 and states that MIDS ARE PERSONS OF INTEGRITY; THEY STAND FOR THAT WHICH IS RIGHT. These YARD Words to live by are based upon the moral values of respect for Human Dignity, respect for Honesty, and respect for others’ Property of others. Brigade Honor Committees composed of elected Upperclass MIDs, are responsible for the education and training in the Honor Concept. MIDs that are found in violation of the Honor Concept by their Peers, may be separated from the YARD. The YARD emphasizes the importance of being physically fit and prepared for stress because the duties of Naval and Marine Corps Officers are often require long, strenuous hours in difficult situations. The physical requirements of PLEBE Summer Training, 4 Years of Physical Education, and Year-round Athletics also develop Pride, Teamwork, and Leadership. The Classes that are now in place at the YARD will produce many of the Leaders of the Navy and Marine Corps for the next 30 Years. In the course of their Careers, the military and political circumstances of the World will take many unexpected turns. Military Force structures will change as new Technology takes hold. YARD Graduates will have to meet these new challenges with Courage, Honor, and Integrity, to uphold cherished Traditions, with the result always leading to a new and better Future. The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association (USNA AA) is a non-profit Organization, which plays a major role in supporting the YARD through private gifts. In this capacity, the USNA AA provides a significant portion of the Value Added Programs and Opportunities at the YARD. OVERVIEW The following provides a brief Overview of the Yard Overview additional Information, as well as some additional Information. School -- Originally founded as the Nation’s Naval School in 1845 mainly through the efforts of then Secretary Of The Navy, George Bancroft, the United States Naval Academy (USNA), today, is a 4-Year Service Academy which prepares MIDs morally, mentally, and physically to be professional Officers in the Naval Service (Navy or Marine Corps). Location -- USNA, also known as the YARD, is situated on 338 Acres between the south bank of the Severn River and historic downtown Annapolis, the State Capital of Maryland. Annapolis is located 33 Miles East of Washington, DC, and 30 Miles Southeast of Baltimore. Campus -- The YARD features tree-lined Brick Walks, French Renaissance and Contemporary Architecture, and scenic Vistas of the Chesapeake Bay. The Bancroft Hall Dormitory Complex, the Chapel, and other 90-Year-old Buildings make the YARD a National Historic Site. Facilities such as the multi-purpose Alumni Hall for Brigade Activities, Nimitz Library with more than 500,000 Volumes, Rickover Hall Engineering Complex, and Hendrix Oceanography Laboratory give the YARD ultra- modern educational resources. Students -- About 4,000 Men and Women representing every State in the Nation and more than 12 Foreign Countries. Academics -- In addition to the Core Curriculum of Academic and Professional Courses, Majors are offered in 18 Subjects: 8 in Engineering; 8 in Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science; and 4 in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Professional -- Subjects such as Small Arms, Drill, Seamanship and Navigation, Tactics, Naval Engineering, Naval Weapons, Leadership, Ethics, and Military Law are taught during the 4-Year Program. In addition, MIDs train at Naval Bases and on Ships of the Fleet each Summer. Athletics -- MIDs can choose from 21 Men's and 9 Women's Intercollegiate Varsity Sports, 12 Intramural Sports and 14 Club Sports. Extracurricular -- More than 100 Extracurricular Activities are offered, including Music, Drama, Parachuting, Scuba Diving, Debate, Religious Groups, and local Volunteer Groups. Graduation -- Bachelor of Science Degrees specifying a major field are awarded to MIDs upon Graduation. They are commissioned as Ensigns (ENS, O-1) in the US Navy, or Reserves, or as Second Lieutenants (2ND, O-1) in the US Marine Corps, or Reserves, and will serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as Naval or Marine Corps Officers. DIRECTIONS The following are several Travel Options for getting to the YARD, as well as to Annapolis, MD. Official Directions -- Official Directions: Take RouTe (RT) 95 South to Baltimore. Then, take either RT 97 South or Maryland RT 2 South for 26 Miles and get off at RT 70, Rowe Boulevard, Exit 24. Take Rowe Boulevard. 1.6 Miles to where it ends at College Avenue; make a LEFT Turn. Continue on to the first Traffic Signal, this will be King George Street; make a RIGHT Turn. Follow King George Street for two blocks, and enter GATE 1. SPPA Directions -- Several Options from the Philadelphia Area: Take RT 95 South. As you cross the DelawarE (DE) State Line (Tri-State Mall Water Tower will be on your LEFT), take 495 South around Wilmington, DE. Remain on RT 495 until you reach EXIT 1, RT 13 South. Take RT 13 South to RT 299 at Odessa, DE; a few miles prior to the RT 299 Turn, you can exit onto RT 899 (RIGHT Turn off of RT 13; it will merge with RT 299 at that same Traffic Signal outside of Middletown, DE). Turn RIGHT onto RT 299 which will merge with RT 301 at a Traffic Signal just outside of Middletown, DE. Remain on RT 301; it will merge with RT 50 a few miles prior to crossing Kent Narrows. Approximately 5 Miles crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on RT 301/50, you can make a RIGHT Turn onto RT 450. RT 450 is slightly easier to navigate and will give you the option of either entering the YARD through GATE 8 or turning LEFT onto King George Street and entering the Yard through GATE 1. Remaining on RT 301/50, you can exit onto RT 70, Rowe Boulevard, which will pass the Navy/Marine Corps Stadium or a few miles further, you can exit onto RT 2 South, which will be West Street in Annapolis. Both of these options will bring you to GATE 1of the YARD. MAP LAYOUT OF YARD (LOCATED IN ANNAPOLIS, MD)

HISTORY When the founders of the YARD were looking for a suitable location, it was reported that then Secretary Of The Navy, George Bancroft, decided to move the Naval School to the healthy and secluded location of Annapolis in order to rescue MIDs from the temptations and distractions that necessarily connect with a large and populous City. The Philadelphia Naval Asylum School was its Predecessor, and 4 of the original 7 Faculty Members came from Philadelphia. Other small Naval Schools in New York City, NY; Norfolk, VA; and Boston, MA, also existed in the early days of the United States. The US Navy was born during the American Revolution when the need for a Naval Force to match the Royal Navy became clear. However, during the period immediately following the Revolution, the Continental Navy was demobilized in 1785 by an economy-minded Congress.

The dormancy of American Seapower lasted barely a decade when, in 1794, President George Washington persuaded Congress to authorize a new Naval Force to combat the growing menace of Piracy on the high seas. The first vessels of the new US Navy were launched in 1797; among them were the United States, the Constellation, and the Constitution. In 1825, President John Quincy Adams urged Congress to establish a Naval Academy for the formation of scientific and accomplished officers. His proposal, however, was not acted upon until 20 years later. On 13 September 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 onboard the Ship that MID Philip Spencer and his 2 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 MIDs directly onboard Ships 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, MD, on 10 October 1845, with a class of 50 MIDs and 7 Professors. The curriculum included Mathematics and Navigation, Gunnery and Steam, Chemistry, English, Natural Philosophy, and French. In 1850, this Naval School officially became the United States Naval Academy. A new curriculum went into effect requiring MIDs to study at the YARD for four years and to train onboard Ships each Summer. That format is the basis of a far more advanced and sophisticated curriculum at the YARD today. As the US Navy grew over the years, the Yard expanded. The campus of 10 Acres increased to 338 Acres, and the original Student Body of 50 MIDs grew to a Brigade size of 4,000 MIDs, with modern granite buildings replacing the old wooden structures of Fort Severn. Congress authorized the YARD to begin awarding Bachelor Of Science Degrees in 1933. The YARD later replaced a fixed curriculum taken by all MIDs with the present Core Curriculum and supplemented with 18 major Study Fields, a wide variety of elective Courses, and advanced Study and Research Opportunities. Since then, the development of the YARD has reflected the history of the Country. As America has changed culturally and technologically, so has the YARD. In just a few decades, the US Navy has moved from a Fleet of Sail and Steam-powered Ships to a High-Tech Fleet with Nuclear-powered Submarines and Surface Ships and Supersonic Aircraft. The Yard has changed, too, giving each MID the state-of-the-art Academic and Professional Training that they will need to be effective Naval or Marine Corps Officers in their future Careers. The YARD first accepted Women as MIDs in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of Women to ALL of the Service Academies. Women now comprise about 13 to 14 Percent of the PLEBEs entering the YARD. These Female Classmates pursue the same Academic and Professional Training, as do their Male Classmates. To be 19 and inherit more than 200 Years of Naval tradition -- from the Continental Navy of 1775 and John Paul Jones' I Have Not Begun To Fight to the Battle Of Midway and Desert Storm. To be reminded of Images intermingled with the exploits of Farragut, Nimitz, and Rickover -- the esteemed dead are alive at the YARD: Damn The Torpedoes -- Don't Give Up The Ship. The Buildings, Playing Fields, 75 Monuments, Benches, and even the Trees honor Naval Heroes and distinguished MID Classes.

The PLEBEs of the Brigade Of Midshipmen, also face the Core Values of the YARD: Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Posted in huge letters on classroom walls, the words constantly bore into PLEBEs. To be a lowly PLEBE - like Bush, Carter, Perot, McCain, and North and know that they were there before you. To discover that over all those years, the life of a PLEBE really hasn't changed -- much! A PLEBE is still everybody's business. At point-blank range, at any place, at any time, Upperclass MIDs scream sweet nothings in their ear: Go home to Mommy! You don't have it! At night, PLEBEs drag whipped carcasses into their Rack and tell themselves to suck it up, because the unthinkable choice is joining that 20 to 25 percent of MIDs who don't graduate - No Sir! PLEBEs are constantly stretched for excellence, especially when their dress, bearing, language, and every move are under constant surveillance. On 10 October 1995, the Nation celebrated the 150th birthday of the YARD. At that time, the US Postal Service unveiled a new Commemorative Stamp honoring the YARD, at a public ceremony in Annapolis. The Seamanship, Teamwork and Character demonstrated by MIDs since 1845 is portrayed through the Stamp's image of a Racing Sloop. That Sloop is the YARD’s 44-Foot Sloop, Swift, which won the Annapolis-to-Newport Race in 1992, underway against a unique backdrop of the Chapel. This is the second Stamp issued by the US Postal Service honoring the YARD - The first was issued at Annapolis on May 26, 1937 -- a 5-Cent Stamp showing two MIDs standing at attention, flanking the YARD‘s official Seal. Various other Commemorative Items are available from the YARD’s MID Store (Naval Academy) and/or the Visitor’s Center.