Henry Glass Munson Collection, 1899-1955: Finding Aid

Biography of Henry Glass Munson

Henry Glass Munson was born on December 31, 1909 in Manila, Philippines. After enlisting in the United States Navy in California and initially training at the San Diego Naval Training Center, he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy on June 29, 1928 as a member of the Class of 1932. Following graduation, Munson was selected as a Rhodes Scholar, and in 1952 received a Master's in nuclear physics from California Polytechnic Institute.

During World War II, Munson served in submarines, commanding U.S.S. S-38 (Submarine: SS-143), U.S.S. Crevalle (Submarine: SS-291), and U.S.S. S-38 (Submarine: SS-269); the second of which Munson placed into commission. Following the War, Munson served at Groton, Connecticut, where he headed the electrical engineering school.

From 1952 until 1956, Munson served as assistant to Admiral Hyman Rickover, after which he served as head of the Navy's Hydrographic Office from 1957 until 1959. Throughout his post-war career, Munson served in several key positions in the development of submarines and submarine warfare, including the development of the Mark 45 torpedo and the Loon missile, heading the technical team investigating the loss of U.S.S. Thresher (Submarine (nuclear-powered): SSN-593), and planning the first submerged circumnavigation completed by U.S.S. Triton (Submarine (nuclear-powered): SSN-586).

Munson retired from the United States Navy in 1961 and moved to Princeton, New Jersey where he served as a senior research associate at RCA's David Sarnoff Laboratory. Henry Glass Munson died on July 16, 1975.

Description of Contents

The Henry Glass Munson Collection, comprising 1.88 linear feet of documentation, spans from 1899 to 1955. While the collection touches upon several aspects of Munson's naval career, it consists mainly of materials pertaining to varied topics, such as the Spanish-American War and images of submarines and sailing vessels.

Included in the collection are photographs, periodicals, and published drawings.

The Munson Collection is arranged alphabetically by document type into a single series with no subdivisions. The few materials pertaining directly to Munson's career in the Navy include photographs of U.S.S. S-38 (SS-143), which Munson commanded; the launching a Loon missile, which Munson helped develop; drawings of U.S.S. Triton (Submarine (nuclear-powered): SSN-586), with which Munson was associated; class photographs of Naval Academy midshipmen; and photographs of Camp Ingram, which Munson was likely stationed at while an enlistee at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. The collection also includes several publications pertaining to the Spanish-American War, which may have come into Munson's possession as a consequence of his birth in Manila. The remainder of the collection consists of drawings and photographs of various submarines, sailing ships, naval vessels, and locomotives.

Arrangement

The Henry Glass Munson Collection is arranged alphabetically by document type.

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Henry Glass Munson Collection is the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Mrs. Henry Glass Munson in May 1990. Accession No. 90-27.

Appraisal

A copy of the Appendix to the Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 1898, was deaccessioned at the time of processing due to extreme degradation and duplicative nature.

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional material in this repository pertaining to Henry Glass Munson may be found in his Midshipman Personnel Jacket (sealed until 2022) and his Alumni Jacket.

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Henry Glass Munson Collection, MS 491

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

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

Munson, Henry Glass Alumni Jacket, RG 405, Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by David D'Onofrio in April 2019. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in April 2019.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Spanish-American War, 1898
• Submarines (Ships)
• United States Naval Academy -- Students

Genre Terms

• Drawings (visual works)
• Manuscripts
• Periodicals
• Photographs