U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis)

Educational establishment responsible for training and educating officers for the United States Navy. The United States Naval Academy is charged with the mission of developing students (known as midshipmen) “morally, mentally, and physically,” thereby by producing graduates who are effective marine and naval officers.

Prior to the founding of the United State Naval Academy, the navy oversaw the Philadelphia Naval Asylum and a few smaller naval schools in New York City, Norfolk, and Boston. In 1845, Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft moved the Naval School to Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland. The institution's name was changed to the United States Naval Academy in 1850 and a four-year study program was implemented. In 1933, Congress authorized the Naval Academy to award bachelor of science degrees. Among the Naval Academy's notable alumni are Senator John McCain, former president Jimmy Carter, former chief of naval operations Arleigh Burke, and Admirals Chester Nimitz and George Dewey.

Today, the academy's curriculum has been expanded beyond the core classes to include nearly 20 different majors encompassing the sciences and humanities. However, the education provided to students at the Naval Academy is not limited to academics. The academy also provides moral, physical, and professional education to produce future officers trained and equipped to carry out the duties of a naval or marine officer in the United States military.