Office of the Superintendent/Miscellaneous Records: Miscellaneous Record Book, 1863-1872: Finding Aid

History of the Office of the Superintendent

The plan of the Naval School at Fort Severn, Annapolis, Maryland, approved by the Navy Department August 28, 1846, provided that a Superintendent of the school be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy from a list of officers of a rank not higher than commander. The Superintendent was to have responsibility for the general management of the institution, including overseeing the course of study, professors, and other personnel connected with the Academy. He could appoint and remove all persons employed at the Academy except those for whose appointment or discharge special provision was made by the laws or regulations of the Navy or the Academy. He had general charge of the buildings, grounds, and ships belonging to the Academy. The Superintendent also formulated the code of rules and regulations for the internal government of the school to be submitted to the Secretary of the Navy for approval. After 1867, officers were assigned by the Navy Department to the Academy to serve as assistants or aides to the Superintendent. The Office of the Superintendent as described in the 1846 plan remained relatively unchanged throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Officers of ranks higher than commander, however, have served in the position.

Description of Contents

This entry consists of a record book that includes a list of midshipmen's accounts showing credits, debits, and balances, 1863-1864; a daily log of events for the period May 1871-July 1872; a summary of the amount paid for postage from June 1866-June 1874; a list of officers furnished with the Navy Register for July 1871; and a list of officers attached to the academy from 1845-1879, including superintendents, commandants of midshipmen, officers in charge of school ships, assistants to the commandant of midshipmen, heads of departments, and instructors.

Arrangement

Arranged 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/3083598.

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

Additional materials pertaining to the miscellaneous information contained in this entry may be found in entry 108: “Letters Sent Containing Requisitions for Money, Materials, and Supplies for the Academy, 1845-1865” (NAID: 3053890); entry 109: “Letters Sent Containing Paymasters’ Requisitions for Money, 1866-1869,” (NAID: 3053909); and entry 112: “Lists of Bills Paid Out of Various Accounts, 1853–1878” (NAID: 3053937); Correspondence of the superintendent relating to administrative expenditures and officers attached to the academy for this period may be found in entry 3: “Press Copies of Letters Sent by the Superintendent, 1865-1911” (NAID: 2980540). A complete inventory of all the daily event logbooks created by the academy’s watch-stander organization may be found in entry 151d: “Watch Logs and Reports, 1845-2018.”

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Office of the Superintendent/Miscellaneous Records: Miscellaneous Record Book, 1863-1872, RG 405.2.5 Entry 138

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

• Midshipmen -- United States
• Naval education -- United States.
• United States Naval Academy -- History – 19th century
• United States Naval Academy -- Students – Discipline
• United States Naval Academy -- Students.
• United States Naval Academy. Superintendent
• United States Navy -- Officers

Genre Terms

• Correspondence
• Directories
• Lists
• Requisitions