Office of the Superintendent/Directives: Orders for the Suspension of Acting Midshipmen, 1856-1862: 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 series contains stubs of forms completed by the Superintendent placing midshipmen under suspension for various infractions of regulations. Some of the midshipmen were dismissed from the academy. These stubs give the names of the midshipmen, the reason for suspension and the academy regulation violated, date, and date of release from suspension. Some forms include accessory information such as dates midshipmen were restored and readmitted to the Naval Academy. Midshipmen were suspended for various reasons, including insubordinate conduct, intoxication, disrespect to a superior officer, going beyond the limits of the academy without permission, fighting, and using insulting language. The forms that were detached from the stub showed the same information and were posted in the Recitation Hall for a specified number of days. The orders are addressed to the Commandant of Midshipmen.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

Use of materials is unrestricted.

Other Finding Aid(s)

National Archives Catalog entry available electronically at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2990285.

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

Orders documenting the suspension of midshipmen for this period are duplicated in Entry 46: "Orders Issued by the Superintendent, 1851-1865" (NAID: 2990283). For various other orders and directives published by the Superintendent see entries 45, and entries for 47 through 57.

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Office of the Superintendent/Directives: Orders for the Suspension of Acting Midshipmen, RG 405.2.2 Entry 47

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 September 2020. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in September 2020. 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
• Naval education -- United States
• United States Naval Academy
• United States Naval Academy -- Administration
• United States Naval Academy -- Buildings and grounds
• United States Naval Academy -- Curricula
• United States Naval Academy -- Faculty
• United States Naval Academy -- History -- 19th century
• United States Naval Academy. Superintendent

Genre Terms

• Orders (military records)