1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,280 Speaker 1: a show that strives to know at least a little 4 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: bit more about history every day. I'm Gay Bluzier, and 5 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: today we're exploring the founding of a proud American institution, 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: the U. S. Naval Academy. The day was October eight. 7 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: The United States Naval Academy opened its stores in Annapolis, Maryland, 8 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,720 Speaker 1: with a class of fifty midshipmen and seven professors. The 9 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: Naval School, as it was originally known, was established without 10 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: the aid of congressional funding and was located at a 11 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: ten acre army base known as Fort Severne. At this 12 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: elite training school, naval cadets learned the skills and discipline 13 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: needed to serve their country as officers of the sea services, 14 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: including the U. S. Navy and the U. S. Marine Corps. 15 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: The idea for a dedicated naval academy dates back to 16 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty five, when President John Quincy Adams urged Congress 17 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: to establish such a school quote for the formation of 18 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: scientific and accomplished officers. His proposal ultimately when ignored until 19 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: twenty years later, but there was one ill fated attempt 20 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: to start a training school before the one in Annapolis. 21 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: In September of eighteen forty two, an American brig called 22 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: the U. S. S. Summers Set sail from the Brooklyn 23 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 1: Navy Yard. It was a school ship intended for the 24 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 1: training of teenage navalvolunteers, with the hope that the experience 25 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: would inspire them to join the Navy full time. Unfortunately, 26 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: the young apprentices proved less disciplined than the officers had hoped. Eventually, 27 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: the cruise behavior got so out of hand that a 28 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: court inquiry was held aboard the ship. It was determined 29 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: that a midshipman and his two chief conspirators were guilty 30 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: of quote A determined attempt to commit mutiny. In a 31 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: disturbing outcome, the three crewmen were hanged from the ship's 32 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: yard arm. As you might expect, this incident put an 33 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: end to the idea of sending midshipman directly out to 34 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: sea to get a hands on education. As the troubling 35 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: news of the Summer's mutiny spread across the country, President 36 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: adams old idea for a naval academy started to sound 37 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: pretty good. Three years later, the Secretary of the nave 38 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: George Bancroft helped establish a proper naval school in Annapolis. 39 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: It was reported that he chose the location because it 40 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: was healthy and secluded, which would help the midshipman avoid 41 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: what he called quote the temptations and distractions that necessarily 42 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: connect with a large and populous city. The school's original 43 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: curriculum included English, French, natural philosophy, chemistry, gunnery, mathematics, and navigation. 44 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifty, the Naval school changed its name to 45 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: the United States Naval Academy and became more of a 46 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 1: full fledged college. A new curriculum was adapted, requiring students 47 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: to study there for four years and to receive practical 48 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: training aboard ships each summer. In nineteen thirty three, the 49 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: school began awarding Bachelor's of Science degrees, fulfilling President Adam's 50 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: wish for a name full school that would create scientific officers. 51 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: That approach, with some alterations, is still in use at 52 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: the Academy today. The school itself also changed over the years. 53 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: The ten acre campus was gradually expanded to over three 54 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: hundred acres, and the original wooden structures of Fort Severne 55 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: were replaced with modern granite buildings. The student body changed 56 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: as well, especially in nineteen seventy six, when the Academy 57 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: accepted its first female students. Today, women comprise about twenty 58 00:04:36,560 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: of the school's first year class. Even though the Naval 59 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: Academy is a college, its admissions process works differently than most. 60 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: In order to apply, you have to be nominated by 61 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: a US representative or senator from your district. The acceptance 62 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 1: committee is very selective too, but once you're in, the 63 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: Navy pays your t wish and in full. In addition 64 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,200 Speaker 1: to an education and a naval career, students also gain 65 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: access to the academy's unique culture and traditions. For example, 66 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: at the end of their first year, freshman's students or 67 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,720 Speaker 1: pleabs must construct a human pyramid in order to scale 68 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:22,839 Speaker 1: a greased monument and place an upper classman's hat on top. 69 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,640 Speaker 1: The idea is to foster teamwork and perseverance in the 70 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 1: rising class, and all for the low cost of fifty 71 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: pounds of vegetable shortening. The Naval Academy is also believed 72 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: to have originated one of the most famous school traditions 73 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: of all, the graduation hat toss. The story goes that 74 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: back in nineteen twelve, the Navy gave out officers hats 75 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: at graduation for the very first time. Since the graduates 76 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,599 Speaker 1: no longer needed the midshipman's caps they'd warn the last 77 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: four years, they simply tossed the old hats up into 78 00:05:59,880 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: the air. The practice stuck around, and eventually students at 79 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: other schools heard about it and started doing the same. 80 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: Of course, one of the biggest traditions that the Naval 81 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: Academy is its annual football game against the Army Cadets 82 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: of the United States Military Academy. The friendly rivalry began 83 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: in eighteen ninety and has only gotten more heated in 84 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: the years since. Case in point, the motto beat Army 85 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: is actually stamped onto the weights in the Naval Academy's 86 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: weight room. Lastly, as a native Marylander and graduate of St. 87 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: John's College in Annapolis, I'd be remiss if I didn't 88 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: also mention the friendly rivalry between the Naval Academy and 89 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: my own alma mater. In case you've never heard of it. St. 90 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: John's follows a curriculum focused on the great books of 91 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: Western civilization, and all of its classes are discussion based. 92 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: Needless to say, the liberal arts schools stands in stark 93 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: contrast to the Naval Academy down the street, and students 94 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: on both campuses are well aware of the differences. Some 95 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: have gone so far as to compare the schools to 96 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: the ancient Greek city states of Athens and Sparta. So 97 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: that's a bit of an exaggeration. According to legend, though, 98 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: a rivalry between the two colleges began in nineteen two 99 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: when the commandant of the U. S. Naval Academy was 100 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: bragging to a Saint John's freshman that the midshipman could 101 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: beat the Johnny's at any sport, just name it. The St. 102 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: John's student's reply was, what about croquet? Soon after, a 103 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: match was set up as a way to improve relations 104 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: between the two schools, and their croquet tradition has been 105 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: upheld nearly every year since. As of one, St. John's 106 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: College has won the Annapolis Cup thirty out of thirty 107 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: seven times. So, to borrow a popular phrase from the 108 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: US Military Academy, beat Navy. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully 109 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: you now know a little more about history today than 110 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. If you like what you heard, you 111 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: can keep up with the show. On Twitter, Facebook, and 112 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: Instagram at t d i HC Show, and if you 113 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: have any comments or suggestions, you can send them my 114 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: way at this Day at i heeart media dot com. 115 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: Thanks to Chandler Mace for producing the show, and thank 116 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 117 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: for another day in History class. For more podcasts from 118 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:48,319 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio, visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 119 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,120 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.