Records of Boards/Records of the Board of Visitors: Journals of the Board of Visitors, 1863-1903: Finding Aid

History of the Board of Visitors

The president appointed the first Board of Visitors in 1851 to witness the annual examination of academy classes and to examine the state of police, discipline, and general management at the institution. An act approved February 14, 1879, provided that seven appointments to the Board be made by the president, two appointments by the vice president or president pro tempore of the senate, and two appointments by the speaker of the house of representatives at the session of the congress preceding each annual examination. An act of March 4, 1913 provided that the Board of Visitors consist of seven members of the committee on naval affairs of the senate and seven members of the committee on naval affairs of the house of representatives to be appointed by the respective chairmen.

Description of Contents

This entry contains journals of the board of visitors that also include yearly Board reports with comments on buildings and grounds; the library; finance, administration, and police; studies and practical exercises of the cadets; and miscellaneous observations.

Volume 282 covers the period 1863-1874; volume 284, 1875-1887; and volume 285, 1888-1903. The journals for the later period also contain printed orders of the academy for the reception of the Board. From 1863 to 1865 the Board met at Newport, Rhode Island.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Access and Use

Access

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/3190025.

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 board of visitors may be found in entry 206: “Press Copies of Letters Sent by the Permanent Secretary of the Board of Visitors, 1909–1914” (NAID: 3190019); entry 207: “Letters Received by the Permanent Secretary of the Board of Visitors, 1909–1913” (NAID: 3190020); entry 209: “Reports, Minutes of Proceedings, and Other Records, 1908-2004” (NAID: 3190031); and entry 209a: Reports of the Board of visitors, 1851-2007.”

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Records of Boards/Records of the Board of Visitors: Journals of the Board of Visitors, 1863-1903, RG 405.6.3 Entry 208

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 -- Administration
• United States Naval Academy -- Buildings and Grounds
• 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. Board of Visitors

Genre Terms

• Minute Books
• Orders (military records)