Office of the Academic Dean: Records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1943-1991 (bulk 1968-1991): Finding Aid

History of the Mechanical Engineering Department

The first organization of the Naval Academy in 1845 provided for six professorships, one of them Natural Philosophy, held by Professor Henry H. Lockwood, and another that of Chemistry, held by Surgeon John A. Lockwood. The course of instruction in Natural Philosophy included the various branches of physics, including magnetism and electricity. In 1850, a reorganization of courses resulted in chemistry being included alongside instruction in mechanics, the use of steam and marine engineering, heat, electricity, light, and mineralogy and geology in the Department of Natural and Experimental Philosophy. In 1865 the Department of Steam Engineering, which instructed midshipmen in the principles and design of steam engine mechanics, was established. The Department was housed in the old armory located in the north section of the Academy grounds just south of Dorsey (College) Creek. In 1871 cadet-engineers specializing in marine engineering were appointed to the Naval Academy for a two year course of instruction in a status comparable to cadet-midshipmen. In 1874 the first course in mechanical engineering was established, and the cadet-engineers program was extended from two to four years. In 1882 legislation designated all students at the Naval Academy as "naval cadets," and the distinction in training and name between cadet-engineers and cadet-midshipmen was erased.

In 1900 the Department of Steam engineering was reorganized into the Department of Marine Engineering and Naval Construction. Instruction in what is now called mechanical engineering was given by instructors of this department. In the 1925-1926 academic year, this department was reorganized as the Department of Engineering and Aeronautics. During the 1933-1934 academic year, it was again reorganized into the Department of Marine Engineering. The Departments of Marine Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Ordnance and Gunnery were housed in Dahlgren Hall when construction of that building, known as the "Armory," was completed in 1903. The instructors were almost exclusively naval officers, and most instruction occurred in Isherwood, Melville, and Griffin halls during the midshipman's Second and First Class years.

During the 1959-1960 academic year the academic organization went through a major revision. The Division of Engineering and Science, and thereunder the Departments of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science were established. The Department of Engineering encompassed electrical, mechanical, marine, and aeronautical engineering. To support the increased specialization within the Academy's engineering curriculum, emphasis was placed on faculty experience and the need for a new engineering facility with larger laboratory facilities.

During the 1970-1971 academic year, the academic organization underwent yet another major reorganization. The former Department of Marine Engineering, housed in Isherwood Hall since the early 1900s, became the new Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Systems Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering, which together with the Departments of Electrical Engineering and Weapons and Systems Engineering comprised the new Division of Engineering and Weapons. In August 1970, the Engineers Council for Professional Development (ECPD), now known as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), evaluated the Naval Academy's engineering curricula, facilities, and faculty and accredited the Mechanical Engineering major. The Mechanical Engineering department was assigned responsibility for the Mechanical Engineering major and for the instruction of all engineering majors in the engineering science course of Statics, Dynamics, Strength of Materials, Materials Science, Thermodynamics and Fluid Dynamics.

In 1975 construction of a new building complex designed for instruction in engineering and weapons was completed and dedicated as Rickover Hall, in recognition of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. Within the new building, laboratories supporting mechanical engineering courses were established. Beginning in the late 1980s Marine and Mechanical Engineering evolved into similar academic programs. Since 2001, the Marine Engineering program has been merged with the Mechanical Engineering major, which includes a Marine Propulsion track and a Nuclear Engineering track.

Description of Contents

The records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, comprising 5 linear feet of documentation, span from 1943 to 1991, with the bulk of materials spanning 1968 to 1991. The collection consists of two series. The first series comprises academic course history files documenting course syllabi and plans, lesson assignments, quizzes, tests, examinations, and course records of enrolled midshipmen. The second series consists of the personnel jackets of civilian and military faculty and staff attached to the department from 1943 to 1991.

Arrangement

The Records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are organized into the following two series:

• Series 1: COURSE HISTORY FILES, 1974-1981 (bulk 1977-1979)
• Series 2: FACULTY PERSONNEL JACKETS, 1943-1991 (bulk 1967-1991)

Access and Use

Access

Restricted - Partly. These records must be screened for personal privacy and law enforcement information under 5 U.S.C. 552(b) prior to public release. Per review, select records may be withheld or redacted in accordance with FOIA (b)(6) Personal Information, and FOIA (b)(7) Law Enforcement.

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

For records originating out of the Division of Engineering and Weapons, and the Departments of Weapons and Systems Engineering, and Electrical Engineering, see entries 201b, 201c, and 201d respectively.

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: Records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, RG 405.4 Entry 201e

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the historical note:

United States Naval Academy. 150th Anniversary - Mechanical Engineering Department - A Brief History. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Academy, 1995.

United States Naval Academy. History of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Academy, 2019.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Samuel Limneos in November 2019. Finding aid written by Samuel Limneos in November 2019.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Naval education -- United States
• United States Naval Academy
• United States Naval Academy -- Curricula - History
• United States Naval Academy -- Faculty
• United States Naval Academy -- History -- 20th century
• United States Naval Academy -- Officials and employees -- Performance
• United States Naval Academy -- Students -- Performance
• United States Naval Academy. Division of Engineering and Weapons -- Curricula
• United States Naval Academy. Mechanical Engineering Department

Genre Terms

• Biography files
• Correspondence
• Examinations (documents)
• Instructional materials
• Job applications
• Memorandums
• Monographs
• Orders (military records)
• Personnel records
• Photographs
• Promotional materials
• Questionnaires
• Registers (Lists)
• Reports
• Résumés (personnel records)
• Schedules (time plans)
• Surveys (documents)