Office of the Superintendent/Administrative Records: Monthly Class Reports, 1865-1904: 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 contains midshipman monthly class reports that consist of weekly and monthly marks, examination grades, and term averages. Notes in these volumes indicate that they were called "smooth books" until January 1892 when the title of the volume was changed to "ledger." The information is arranged in columns stating the cadet's name and section number, weekly averages, monthly average, term average, examination grade, and final average. A remarks column occasionally records annotations such as declined examinations, absenteeism, disciplinary instances or study habits, and formulae for computing term averages.

The records include reports for Department of English Studies subjects, including English, ethics, political science, history, law, rhetoric, and geography. Monthly reports generally precede or follow summary reports that document statistical information on the grades of each cadet for the term. Academic years were usually divided into two terms, the first lasting from September to January and the second from February to June. Between 1870 and 1881 the registers also include monthly reports for cadet engineers, usually listed after cadet midshipmen. Monthly reports from 1882 to 1884 also document the title and author of the subject’s assigned textbook and recitation progress made in the textbook (i.e. “general review,” page numbers, example numbers, and dates of assigned readings). A handwritten loose-leaf copy of the international law graduation examination questions dated May 17, 1895, is included in the front of volume 592.

Arrangement

Arranged by class, thereunder by academic subject, thereunder chronologically, and thereunder alphabetically by student surname or numerically by class section number, and relative standing or final term average.

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/3033523.

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

Registers documenting the complete conduct and academic histories for some of the midshipmen mentioned in this entry are found in entry 85: “Register of Delinquencies, 1846-1850, 1854-1882” (NAID: 3033255). Other conduct and academic records related to this entry are found in entry 95: “Reports of Relative Standing and Deficiencies and Merit Rolls, 1866-1867” (NAIDL 3039645); entry 96: “Monthly Reports of Relative Class Standing, Marks, and Demerits, 1855-1907” (NAID: 3039649); and entry 98: “Reports of Examination Grades of Midshipmen, 1872-1879” (NAID: 3039658). Copies of letters written by the superintendent and the secretary of the navy formally warning and reprimanding midshipmen for academic deficiencies are found in entry 3: “Press Copies of Letters Sent by the Superintendent, 1865-1911” (NAID: 2980540).

Reports of relative academic standing, deficiency lists and merit rolls pertaining to midshipman grades are found in entry 204: “Journals of the Academic Board, 1854-1942” (NAID: 3179980). Other reports and correspondence of the superintendent, the secretary of the navy, and midshipmen and their parents pertaining to academic deficiencies and resultant dismissals and reappointments are located at the National Archives’ Record Group 45 series: “Letters Received from the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, 1847-1884” (NAID: 1801239); and the Record Group 24 series: “Records Concerning Naval Cadets, 1862-1910” (NAID: 2524308).

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: Monthly Class Reports, 1865-1904, RG 405.2.3 Entry 93

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 2022. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in May 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 -- United States
• Naval education -- United States
• United States Naval Academy - Students
• • United States Naval Academy -- History – 19th century

Genre Terms

• Registers (lists)