Nimitz Library
Introduction
In 2002, the U.S. Naval Academy's Nimitz Library received a generous gift of two 18th-century letters relating to John Paul Jones from Faith McCurdy of Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
One letter is from George Washington to John Paul Jones, dated July 22, 1787, during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
Letter from George Washington
The other letter is from John Paul Jones to the editor of the Gazette de Leyde, written "On board the Bonhomme Richard's prize the late British Ship of War Serapis Texel November 11th, 1779:"
Letter to M. J. Luzac, editor of the Gazette de Leyde
Mrs. McCurdy gave the letters in memory of her late husband James Arrison McCurdy, naval architect and designer of the sail training vessel known as the Navy 44. Her daughter, Sheila McCurdy, is a member of the Fales committee, which advises the Naval Academy about its sailing program. The letters were presented during a ceremony in the Nimitz Library's Special Collections and Archives Division on April 24, 2002, attended by faculty, staff, administrators, and other friends of the Academy.
