Office of the Superintendent/Correspondence: Letters Received by Superintendent John M. Bowyer from Parents of Midshipmen who Participated in "The Silence" of March 18, 1910, 1910: Finding Aid

History of the Office of the Superintendent

The plan of the Naval School at Fort Severn, Annapolis, Maryland, approved by the Navy Department August 28, 1846, provided that a Superintendent of the school be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy from a list of officers of a rank not higher than commander. The Superintendent was to have responsibility for the general management of the institution, including overseeing the course of study, professors, and other personnel connected with the Academy. He could appoint and remove all persons employed at the Academy except those for whose appointment or discharge special provision was made by the laws or regulations of the Navy or the Academy. He had general charge of the buildings, grounds, and ships belonging to the Academy. The Superintendent also formulated the code of rules and regulations for the internal government of the school to be submitted to the Secretary of the Navy for approval. After 1867, officers were assigned by the Navy Department to the Academy to serve as assistants or aides to the Superintendent. The Office of the Superintendent as described in the 1846 plan remained relatively unchanged throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Officers of ranks higher than commander, however, have served in the position.

Description of Contents

This entry includes letters written in response to a circular letter that Superintendent John M. Bowyer sent on April 1, 1910 to parents of midshipmen implicated in "The Silence," an act of insubordination committed at the evening meal on March 18, to register the brigade's disapproval of the conduct of certain officers at the academy.

Arrangement

Arranged in general chronological order.

Access and Use

Access

Unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

Unrestricted.

Other Finding Aid(s)

National Archives Catalog entry available electronically at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2990166.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Custodial History

RG 405 Records of the United States Naval Academy is the property of the National Archives and Records Administration. The materials are housed at the United States Naval Academy, William W. Jeffries Memorial Archives, an affiliated archive, as per a Memorandum of Agreement between the National Archives and Records Administration and the United States Naval Academy.

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Other correspondence related to "The Silence" incident is found in entry 33: "General Correspondence, 1907-1913" (NAID: 2990103); and potentially in entry 39b: "General Correspondence, 1845-1989." Orders and notices published by the superintendent in relation to this incident are found in entry 54: "Orders Issued by the Superintendent, 1907-1979" (NAID: 2990356).

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Office of the Superintendent/Correspondence: Letters Received by Superintendent John M. Bowyer from Parents of Midshipmen who Participated in "The Silence" of March 18, 1910, RG 405.2.1 Entry 40

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the historical note:

Sweetman, Jack. The U.S. Naval Academy: An Illustrated History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute Press, 1979.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Samuel Limneos in February 2022. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in February 2022. Historical Sketch and Scope and Content Note adapted in part from Inventory of Records Group 405 by Geraldine N. Phillips and Aloha South, 1975.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Midshipmen -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States
• United States Naval Academy
• United States Naval Academy -- Administration
• United States Naval Academy -- History -- 20th century
• United States Naval Academy -- Students
• United States Naval Academy. Superintendent

Genre Terms

• Correspondence