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Nelson, not understanding a word of the
question, replied with one of his memorized
phrases, “Thank You, I am very well. ”
The startled Professor glared at him and
continued, “What course have you just finished?”
‘‘I am 24 years of age,” replied Nelson.
One of the commodores present during the
examination was Commodore Matthew C. Perry,
who did not understand a word of French. As the
situation reached an impasse, Commodore Perry
arose from his seat and congratulated Girault on
his success in teaching the midshipman to speak
French with such fluency and accuracy.
Initially the course of study at the Academy
took 5 years. Of these, midshipmen spent only
the first and last at Annapolis; they spent the
intervening 3 years at sea. During 1850 and 1851
the school was reorganized as the U.S. Naval
Academy, and the course of study was changed
to 4 consecutive years. Summer practice cruises
replaced the omitted sea service. Thus, today’s
basic 4-year curriculum first appeared at the Naval
Academy over 100 years ago, long before it
became general practice in American under-
graduate education.
With the reorganization that changed the
Naval School to the Naval Academy, the school’s
executive officer became the commandant of
midshipmen. The school also adopted a naval
uniform for acting midshipmen and inaugurated
the marking scale of 4.0.
The reorganization also provided that the
holder of a certificate of graduation was entitled
to a midshipman’s warrant. After 2 years of sea
duty, the midshipman could return for an
examination for lieutenant. Only Naval Academy
graduates were to receive the warrants—the first
step toward regulating the quality and quantity
of officers in the fleet.
In 1851 the method of appointing midshipmen
in proportion to the members of the House of
Representatives was established. In 1852 the
proviso requiring an Academy aspirant to receive
the recommendation of his Congressman was
added.
In 1855 the original “fourth class” entered the
academy. Almost simultaneously the "my plebe"
tradition developed. With this tradition the new
third classmen selected particular members of the
incoming class over whom they kept a watchful
eye. This eventually became a first classman
privilege. Until the advent of the squad system
in 1965, the closest relationship at the Naval
Academy was between the first classmen and the
plebes.
Attrition during the early years was heavy.
Only 269 midshipmen of the first 1,209 completed
the course of study. George Dewey entered with
a class of 75; after their annual examination in
June 1855, only 38 were retained. Of these, the
future hero of Manila Bay ranked 35th! At
graduation, however, he ranked fifth in his class
of 15.
The 1850s also saw two other firsts at the
Academy.
Franklin Pierce became the first
President of the United States to visit the
Academy when he attended a naval ball therein
1856. Two years later the school’s first literary
society was formed. It honored James Lawrence,
whose words, "Don’t give up the ship!" adorn
Memorial Hall.
The coming of the Civil War brought the
young school trying years in 1860 and 1861. As
states seceded from the Union, the tension
mounted. Finally, one day in April 1861, all hands
were ordered to muster aboard the Constitution,
the school ship. Lieutenant Christopher R. P.
Rogers, commandant of midshipmen, addressed
the group and ordered all those who desired to
resign to fall out of ranks. Many did and, amid
sad farewells, went off to join the Confederacy.
Officers at the Academy also went their
respective ways, including the brothers William
and Foxhall Parker. William had argued they
should remain with the Union because of
education and Navy ties; Foxhall argued for
the Confederacy because of family and state
connections. They separated after their discussion;
but each had been so persuasive that, unknown
to each other, William resigned and Foxhall
remained with the Union.
The rapidly expanding Union Navy urgently
needed junior officers. Therefore, the first,
second, and third class midshipmen who remained
at the Academy were sent off to war. Shortly there-
after the fourth class, aboard the Constitution,
sailed for Newport, Rhode Island, which became
the home of the Academy for the duration of the
War.
Organized athletics were introduced to the
Academy during the post-Civil War period.
In 1867 the Academy formed class baseball
teams and held the first of a series of annual
Thanksgiving athletic carnivals. The athletic
program included track and field competition,
baseball, rowing, and gymnastics. In 1870 the
Academy began competing against outside crews
in rowing. Football was being played at the
Academy by 1880; and in 1882 the school’s foot-
ball team played its first outside game, defeating
10-3
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