Records of Boards/Records of Other Boards and Proceedings: Proceedings of the Board Investigating Cadet J.J. Brown, 1896-1897: Finding Aid

History of Boards of Investigation, Courts of Inquiry, and Courts Martial

Boards of investigation, courts of inquiry, and courts-martial were convened at the Academy by authority of the Superintendent. In his letters of authorization to the senior member of the board of investigation, the Superintendent usually described the scope and purpose of the inquiry to be made. The boards acted on charges received only by the superintendent, and was tasked to state impartially the facts connected with each case, and to produce duplicate reports for the academy's record book and the Navy Department. The procedure followed by boards of investigation, courts of inquiry, and courts-martial was that prescribed by the Navy Department. The proceedings, findings, and recommendations of the courts and boards were submitted to the Superintendent, who, in turn, submitted them to the Secretary of the Navy.

Description of Contents

This entry contains fair copies of the proceedings and the final report of the board of investigation appointed by the superintendent, December 24, 1896, to examine the conduct of Cadet J.J. Brown, who academy authorities charged with retaining a manuscript notebook deemed not his legal property. Included at the end of the volume are unbound copies of letters of witnesses relating to the case.

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.

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

Proceedings of boards and courts investigating midshipmen misconduct between 1866 and 1882 are found in entry 210: “Press Copies of Letters Sent and Reports Relating to Boards of Inquiry, 1874-1882” (NAID: 3190035); and entry 211: “Proceedings of Courts of Inquiry or Boards Appointed to Investigate Charges Against Midshipmen, 1866-1871, 1877-1878.”

Proceedings and records of other boards and courts of inquiry convened to investigate midshipman misconduct may be found in entry 213: “Proceedings of the Board to Investigate Hazing at the Academy at to Recommend Punishment, 1905-1907”; entry 214: “Proceedings of Boards Appointed to Investigate Charges Against Cadets and Midshipmen Other Than Hazing, 1906-1907”; entry 215: “Proceedings of Boards to Investigate Hazing at the Academy, 1911”; entry 216: “Record of Informal Hearings Before the Secretary of the Navy Regarding Alleged Frauds in the Annual Examinations of 1915”; entry 217: “Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry Convened at the Academy Into Alleged Frauds Committed by Midshipmen in the Annual Examinations of 1915”; entry 218: “Proceedings of Boards Investigating Hazing at the Academy and on Summer Practice Cruise Ships and Related Reports, 1915”; entry 219: “Proceedings of the Court of Inquiry Into the Case of Midshipman E.J. Lowry, 1915”; entry 220: “Proceedings of Boards Appointed to Investigate Incidents at the Academy Involving the Academy Staff, 1921-1923”; entry 221: “Proceedings of the Board to Investigate Hazing at the Academy, 1922”; and entry 222: “Proceedings of the Naval Academy Court-Martial of Midshipman Francis W. Laurent, 1922.”

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 Other Boards and Proceedings: Proceedings of the Board Investigating Cadet J.J. Brown, 1896-1897, RG 405.6.4 Entry 212

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

• Courts-martial and courts of inquiry -- United States
• Midshipmen -- Conduct of life -- 19th century
• Midshipmen -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States
• Midshipmen -- United States
• United States Naval Academy
• United States Naval Academy -- Administration
• United States Naval Academy -- Faculty
• United States Naval Academy -- History -- 19th century
• United States Naval Academy -- Students
• United States Naval Academy. Superintendent

Genre Terms

• Correspondence
• Minutes
• Orders (military records)
• Proceedings