Records of Boards/Records of the Board of Visitors: Reports, Minutes of Proceedings, and Other Records, 1908-2004: Finding Aid
Published in October 2016
Summary Information
- Publisher: United States Naval Academy. Special Collections & Archives.
- Publisher Address:
589 McNair Road
Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5029, USA
Phone: 410-293-6922
https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/index.php - Call number: RG 405.6.3 Entry 209
- National Archives Identifier: 3190031
- Location: Special Collections & Archives Department - Archives
- Title: Records of Boards/Records of the Board of Visitors: Reports, Minutes of Proceedings, and Other Records
- Dates: 1908-2004
- Size: 3.34 linear feet
- Container Summary: 8 manuscript boxes
- Creator: Department of the Navy. Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy
- Language(s) of material: English
- Abstract: This series contains reports, minutes of proceedings, and other records of the Board of Visitors. It includes reports on conditions at the Academy, minutes of meetings, and other records, including printed programs of exercises for the Board, lists of Board members, and reports of committees appointed by the Board.
History of the Board of Visitors
The first Board of Visitors was appointed in 1851 by the President 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 series contains reports, minutes of proceedings, and other records of the Board of Visitors. It includes reports on conditions at the Academy, minutes of meetings, and other records, including printed programs of exercises for the Board, lists of Board members, and reports of committees appointed by the Board. The records of the 1907 Board, which were turned over to Secretary Dashiell by former Secretary George A. Sanderson, include a Bureau of Ordnance memorandum relating to the proposed consolidation of the Departments of Mathematics and Mechanics at the Academy, and a report of a board to inquire into the course of study prescribed for midshipmen. The records of the 1909 Board include a printed copy of the Presidential message to Congress of December 1908; among the 1912 records is a letter from Henry C. Lodge, a member of the Board, containing suggestions for inclusion in the final Board report; a copy of "The Illumination of Study Rooms, Being a Report Submitted to the Superintendent of the Naval Academy on the Present System of Lighting," by A. L. Parsons and H. W. Smith (Washington, 1910); and questionnaires submitted to members of the Board. Papers of the 1914 Board include a copy of a letter from Admiral George Dewey to the Superintendent relating to the excellent performance of the battalion of midshipmen at ceremonies for the unveiling of the Barry Monument in Washington, D.C.
Arrangement
The Records of Boards/Records of the Board of Visitors: Reports, Minutes of Proceedings, and Other Records are arranged chronologically by year in which the Board met and thereunder by type of record.
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/3190031.
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
Reports and minutes of the Board for other time periods can be found in the series, "Journals of the Board of Visitors, 1863-1903" (Entry 208, National Archives Identifier 3190025), and also among the main correspondence in the series, "General Correspondence, January 1907-September 1913" (Entry 33, National Archives Identifier 2990103); "General Correspondence, October 1913-February 1922" (Entry 36, National Archives Identifier 2990114); and "General Correspondence, February 1922-October 1927" (Entry 39, National Archives Identifier 2990163).
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: Reports, Minutes of Proceedings, and Other Records, RG 405.6.3 Entry 209
Special Collections & Archives Department
Nimitz Library
United States Naval Academy
Processing Information
Inventory prepared by David D'Onofrio in October 2016. Historical sketch and Scope and Content Note prepared by Geraldine N. Phillips and Aloha South in 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 -- Students
Genre Terms
- Agendas (administrative records)
- Correspondence
- Minutes (administrative records)
- Reports