Office of the Academic Dean/Department of English Studies, History, and Law: Registers of the Midshipmen's Weekly Grades and Averages, 1882-1903: Finding Aid

History of the Department of English, History, and Government

In 1845 the first organization of the Naval Academy provided for six professorships, one of them in history, geography and English grammar held by Chaplain George Jones. A major reorganization during the 1850-1851 academic year moved the history, geography and English grammar professorship into the department of ethics. The new department’s course of instruction included English grammar, rhetoric, physical and descriptive geography, history, moral philosophy, constitutional, national, and international law, and military and naval law. The academy renamed the department the Department of Ethics and English Studies in 1855. During the 1873-1874 academic year the academy again changed the name to the Department of English Studies, History and Law. During academic year 1895-1896 the academy changed the name to the Department of English. The academy retitled the organization the Department of English and Law during academic year 1899-1900, before again changing the name to the Department of English during academic year 1907-1908.

In 1937, the academy formed the Department of English, History, and Government by merging the Department of Economics and Government with the Department of English and History. Thirty-two years later, in September of 1969, the Naval Academy's academic program underwent a seismic shift with the implementation of the majors program. The resulting reorganization of the academic departments saw the Department of English, History, and Government subsumed into the Division of English and History (later the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences). Under the new organization, the individual subject components became their own departments, each in turn offering their own majors.

Description of Contents

This entry contains registers of the midshipmen's weekly grades and averages. It includes daily marks of each midshipman and his examination and final monthly marks for classes in English, history, and law. Marks are recorded on forms, which include columns for weekly grades, monthly averages, examinations, and final averages.

Marks for the first class for the period February 1891-March 1898, are recorded in volume 593; for the second class 1882-1888, and 1895-1901, in volume 609; for the third class, 1882-1903, in volumes 587-589; and the fourth class, 1882-1903, in volumes 621-623 and 626.

Arrangement

Arranged by class, 1-4, thereunder chronologically, and thereunder alphabetically by initial of surname of 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.

Other Finding Aid(s)

National Archives Catalog entry available electronically at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/3174870.

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

Location of Related Materials

Other records produced by the Department of Ethics and English Studies and its departmental successors throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries may be found in entry 184: “Journal of Instructions, Orders, and Examination Questions, 1866-1873” (NAID: 3174826); entry 185: “Class Assignments, 1873-1882” (NAID: 3174844); entry 186: “Journal and Order Book, 1874–1879” (NAID: 3174855); entry 187: “History Examination Questions, 1873–1879” (NAID: 3174863); entry 188: “Journal of Examinations and Assignments, 1874–1875” (NAID: 3174864); entry 189: “Law Examination Questions, 1874-1882” (NAID: 3174865); entry 190: “Register of Theme Subjects Assigned to Cadets of the Second Class by the Department of English, 1875–1882” (NAID: 3174866); entry 191: “Detail and Arrangement Book, 1878–1884” (NAID: 3174868); entry 193: “Daily Log, 1894-1895” (NAID: 3174883); entry 194: “Mark Books of Professor A. N. Brown of the Department of English Studies, History, and Law, 1894–1898” (NAID: 3174889); entry 195: “English Notebook, 1895-1897” (NAID: 3174892); entry 196: “Lists of Monthly Section Arrangements, 1900–1902” (NAID: 3174895); entry 197: “English and Law Notebook of Midshipman T. J. Reidy, 1903–1904” (NAID: 3174896); entry 198: “Press Copies of Letters Sent, 1905–1908” (NAID: 3174897); entry 199: “Orders and Memoranda, 1907–1915” (NAID: 3179939); entry 200: “Forms and Printed Notes, 1910” (NAID: 3179941); and entry 201: “Copies of Monthly, Semiannual, and Annual Examination Questions, 1913–1917” (NAID: 3179957).

Later twentieth century records produced by the Department of English History and Government and its organizational successors may be found in entry 201a: “Records of the Department of English, History and Government, 1907-1972”; and entry 201h: “Records of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1919-1998.”

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Office of the Academic Dean/Department of English Studies, History, and Law: Registers of the Midshipmen's Weekly Grades and Averages, 1882–1903, RG 405.4 Entry 192

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 April 2023. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in May 2023. 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

• Naval Education -- United States
• United States Naval Academy
• United States Naval Academy -- Curricula
• United States Naval Academy -- Examinations
• United States Naval Academy -- Faculty
• United States Naval Academy -- History – 19th century
• United States Naval Academy -- History – 20th century
• United States Naval Academy -- Students
• United States Naval Academy. Department of English
• United States Naval Academy. Department of Ethics and English Studies
• United States Naval Academy. Office of the Academic Dean

Genre Terms

• Grade books
• Registers