Office of the Superintendent/Directives: Orders Issued by the Superintendent, 1890-1908: 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 consists of handwritten, printed, or typed orders issued by the Superintendent. The orders relate primarily to individual midshipmen and conduct, include instructions relating to the suspension and dismissal of classes, regulations concerning the conduct of midshipmen in quarters, recommendations and punishments of courts-martial, announcements of leave time for holidays, orders for changes in the daily routine, punishments resulting from personal misconduct (e.g. "gouging" [cheating] and smoking), and special regulations relating to midshipmen assigned to the U.S.S. Santee for insubordination. Many orders are stamped "published and posted" with the date and signature of the officer in charge.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically and thereunder numerically. There is a subject index located at the beginning of volume 2. There are also name and subject indexes in volumes 5 and 6.

Access and Use

Access

Access is Unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

Generally, materials produced by Federal agencies are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission. Any non-government publications held herein may still be subject to copyright. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

Other Finding Aid(s)

National Archives Catalog entry available electronically at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/2990329.

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

The orders do not appear to be duplicated in the orders in Entry 51 (vols. 334-339), but some are duplicated in entry 52. For earlier orders, see entry 45: "Orders of Superintendent Cornelius K. Stribling, 1850-1852" (NAID: 2990281); entry 46: "Orders of the Superintendent, 1851-1865" (NAID: 2990283); and entry 47: "Orders for the Suspension of Acting Midshipmen, 1856-1862" (NAID: 2990285). entry 48: "Press Copies of Orders Issued by the Superintendent, 1865-1874, 1886-1888" (NAID: 2990289) and entry 49: "Orders of the Superintendent, 1874-1886" (NAID: 2990325) contain the superintendent's orders immediately preceding this entry. Other orders, circulars, notices, memoranda, and directives issued by succeeding superintendents may be found in entries 51-58.

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 Issued by the Superintendent, RG 405.2.2 Entry 50

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 May 2021. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in May 2021. 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 -- Conduct of life -- 19th century
• Midshipmen -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States
• Midshipmen -- 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)