Office of the Superintendent/Administrative Records: Records Relating to the Board Investigating the Hazing of Cadet George J. Meyers, 1898: 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

Contains questionnaires submitted to third and fourth classmen asking whether they had been hazed or "run" since entering the Academy, and the names of the individuals who did the hazing or "running." Also contains the medical report of the surgeon, Cadet Meyers' testimony, the report of the Board, and a Board report connected with the hazing cases of Cadets Harry T. Morton and Lindsay H. Lacy, November 1898.

Arrangement

Arranged by type of record. Questionnaires arranged thereunder alphabetically by midshipman.

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.

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

Materials pertaining to other hazing cases may be found in RG 405.6.4 Entry 213, Entry 215, Entry 218, Entry 221 and Entry 222.

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Office of the Superintendent/Administrative Records: Records Relating to the Board Investigating the Hazing of Cadet George J. Meyers, RG 405.2.3 Entry 83

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Processing Information

Inventory prepared by David D'Onofrio in September 2016. Historical sketch and Scope and Content Note prepared by Geraldine N. Phillips and Aloha South in 1975.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Meyers, George Julian, 1881-1939
• United States Naval Academy -- Hazing
• United States Naval Academy -- Students

Genre Terms

• Questionnaires
• Reports