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stirring exhibit is the faded blue flag on which is
sewn in uneven white letters the undying words
of Captain James Lawrence, "Don’t give up the
ship."
The Naval Academy Chapel, with its great
dome that dominates the yard, was completed in
1908. One striking feature of the chapel is the
stained-glass windows. Of these, the three main
windows are memorials to Admirals Porter and
Farragut and Rear Admiral Sampson. The two
flanking windows portray the mission of the
chapel. One shows Sir Galahad with his sheathed
sword before him. The other portrays Christ
showing a newly commissioned ensign the beacon
he must follow as an officer. The bronze doors
of the chapel, another of its noteworthy features,
were the gifts of Colonel Robert Means
Thompson.
The original chapel was constructed in the
form of a Greek cross. In 1939 an extension was
added to increase its capacity, which changed the
construction to the form of a Christian cross.
Another notable feature of the chapel is the votive
ship that hangs from a chain in the arch of the
nave. It was presented to the Academy in 1941
by alumni who had served in the Construction
Corps. (The idea of exhibiting a ship model in a
church goes back to ancient days. The model
symbolizes the dedication of seafaring men to
their God.)
Beneath the chapel lies the crypt containing
the sarcophagus (marble coffin) of John Paul
Jones. Completed in 1913, the sarcophagus is
surrounded by eight columns of Pyrenean
marble. Inlaid in a circle in the marble floor
around it are the names of the seven ships Jones
commanded or captured during the revolutionary
war: Serapis, Alliance, Providence, Bonhomme
Richard, Alfred, Ariel, and Ranger.
Until brought to Annapolis in 1905, Jones’
remains had been in France since his death over
a century before. The reinterment in 1906 was one
of the most impressive ceremonies in the
Academy’s history. For the occasion a large crowd
filled Dahlgren Hall to honor the memory of the
“Father of the American Navy” and to hear
President Theodore Roosevelt. The President
closed the day with these ringing words, "The
man who never surrenders never has to make
excuses!"
Attending the Academy during this period of
growth were several midshipmen who later led the
Navy during World War II, the period of the
Navy’s greatest expansion. Among them were
Ernest F. King, William F. Halsey, Chester
Nimitz, Raymond Spruance, Harold R. Stark,
Richmond K. Turner, and Marc A. Mitscher.
An important change at the Academy at this
time concerned the summer practice cruises.
Ever since 1851 these cruises had normally taken
place in practice ships assigned to the Academy.
These included such famous sailing ships as the
Constitution and the Constellation and the last
square rigger built (1900) for the U.S. Navy, the
Chesapeake. In 1904, however, part of the
midshipmen embarked in the coast squadron of
the North Atlantic Fleet. This procedure was
repeated yearly until 1912. At that time the Navy
began the present system of holding summer
practice cruises only in ships of the fleet.
An act of Congress in 1902 restored to
Academy students the nautical title “mid-
shipmen.” They had been given this title from
1862 to 1870 and are called by this title today.
(From 1845 to 1862 they had been called “acting
midshipmen on probation”; from 1870 to 1882,
“cadet midshipmen”; and from 1882 to 1902,
“naval cadets.”)
In 1898 the Academy adopted a coat of arms.
The coat of arms consists of a trident, the motto
“Ex Scientia Tridens,” a book, and a shield
exhibiting a Roman galley coming bows on into
action. The trident is the ancient symbol of sea
power. The motto “EX Scientia Tridens,” which
means “From knowledge, sea power, ” represents
the purpose of the Academy. The book depicts
scholastic ideas.
In 1907 the Academy’s bandmaster, Lieutenant
Charles A. Zimmerman, and a choir member,
Midshipman First Class Alfred H. Miles,
composed the Navy’s battle song, “Anchors
Aweigh. ” The midshipmen first sang it at
the Army-Navy football game in 1907 as the
Navy won its second successive victory over West
Point.
During this period the Academy strived to
develop its midshipmen into gentlemen with the
strictest sense of dignity and honor. A regulation
about dancing serves as an example of the close
attention the Academy gave to this task. This
regulation, formulated in 1913 by the Department
of Discipline (the forerunner of today’s Executive
Department), presented the following restrictions:
1. None of the modern dances will be
performed under any circumstances.
2. Midshipmen must keep their left arm
straight during all dances.
3. A space of 3 inches must be kept between
the dancing couple.
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