Editing United States Naval Academy (section)

===Modern era: World War II to present===
The academy and its support facilities became part of the Severn River Naval Command from 1941 to 1962.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Regions/ndw/installations/nsa_annapolis/ |title=NSA Annapolis – About |publisher=Cnic.navy.mil |access-date=10 October 2011 |archive-date=8 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108200736/https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/ndw/installations/nsa_annapolis.html |url-status=live }}</ref><!---maybe support command should have its own article?--->

A total of 3,319 graduates were commissioned during World War II. Dr. [[Christian J. Lambertsen|Chris Lambertsen]] held the first [[Diving rebreather|closed-circuit oxygen]] SCUBA course in the United States for the [[Office of Strategic Services]] maritime unit at the academy on 17 May 1943.<ref name=butler>{{cite journal |author=Butler FK |title=Closed-circuit oxygen diving in the U.S. Navy |journal=Undersea Hyperb Med |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=3–20 |year=2004 |pmid=15233156 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3986 |access-date=19 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513020826/http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/3986}}</ref><ref name=Hawkins>{{cite journal |author=Hawkins, T. |title=OSS Maritime |journal=The Blast|date=2000|volume=32 |issue=1}}</ref> In 1945, A Department of Aviation was established. That year a vice admiral, [[Aubrey W. Fitch]], became superintendent. The naval academy celebrated its centennial. During the century of its existence, roughly 18,563 midshipmen had graduated, including the class of 1946.<ref name="usna.edu"/>

The academy was accredited in 1947 by the [[Middle States Association|Middle States Commission on Higher Education]].

On January 15, 1947, [[James L. Holloway Jr.|James L. Holloway]] became the 35th [[List of Superintendents of the United States Naval Academy|superintendent of the United States Naval Academy]], succeeding Vice Admiral [[Aubrey W. Fitch]].<ref name=superintendents>{{Cite web|url=http://www.usna.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=507&srcid=911|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214135/http://www.usna.com/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?&pid=507&srcid=911|url-status=dead|title=Superintendents of the U.S. Naval Academy|archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> At 48, Holloway was the youngest superintendent in fifty years, having been handpicked by [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] Forrestal to implement the academic changes suggested by the Holloway Board, which had recommended that the Naval Academy curriculum move away from rote recitation and continuous crams "to give a stronger emphasis to basic and general education, rendering more fundamental and less detailed instruction in strictly naval material and techniques."<ref name=annapolis>{{citation| title=Change at Annapolis|magazine=Time|date=January 20, 1947|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,854327,00.html?promoid=googlep|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025112358/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,854327,00.html?promoid=googlep|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 25, 2008|isbn=0-8078-3047-X|last1=Michael Gelfand|first1=H.}}</ref>

An accelerated course was given to midshipmen during the war years which affected classes entering during the war and graduating later. The students studied year around. This affected the class of 1948 most of all. For the only time, a class was divided by academic standing. 1948A graduated in June 1947; the remainder, called 1948B, a year later.<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1CsNenXrHtAC&q=-wikipedia+rickover+recommendations+curriculum+naval+academy&pg=PA96|title=The Midshipman Culture and Educational Reform|publisher=University of Delaware Press|isbn=9780874138641|year=2004|access-date=22 November 2020|archive-date=12 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412052255/https://books.google.com/books?id=1CsNenXrHtAC&q=-wikipedia+rickover+recommendations+curriculum+naval+academy&pg=PA96|url-status=live}}</ref>

From 1946 to 1961, [[Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Canary|N3N]] amphibious biplanes were used at the academy to introduce midshipmen to flying.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Robert F. |last=Dunn |date=May–June 2011 |title=Early Aviation at Annapolis |magazine=Shipmate |volume=74 |issue=4 |page=16}}</ref>

On 3 June 1949, [[Wesley A. Brown]], the sixth African-American to enter the academy,<ref name=schneller/> became the first to graduate, followed several years later by [[Lawrence Chambers]], who became the first African-American graduate to make flag rank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.navy.mil/library/guides/rosters/african_am_flag.htm |title=African American Flag Officers in the US Navy |publisher=Department of the Navy |date=4 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20130501212435/http://www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/rosters/african_am_flag.htm |archive-date=1 May 2013 }}</ref>

The 1950 Navy fencing team won the NCAA national championship.

The Navy eight-man rowing crew won the [[Rowing at the 1952 Summer Olympics|gold medal]] at [[1952 Summer Olympics]] in Helsinki, Finland. They were also named National Intercollegiate Champions.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web | url=http://www.usna.edu/USNAHistory/ | title=A brief history of USNA – Interactive USNA Historic Timeline | publisher=U.S. Naval Academy | access-date=5 May 2015 | archive-date=7 May 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507071508/http://www.usna.edu/USNAHistory/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 1955, the tradition of greasing [[Herndon Monument]] for plebes to climb to exchange their plebe "dixie cup" covers (hats) for a midshipman's cover started.

In 1957, the moored training ship ''Reina Mercedes'', ruined by a hurricane, was scrapped.<ref name="reina"/>

The 1959 fencing team won the NCAA national championship, and became the first to do so by placing first in all three weapons (foil, épée, and saber). All 3 fencers were selected for the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympics]] team, as was head coach Andre Deladrier. The [[Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium]], funded by donations, was dedicated 26 September 1959.

From 1959 to 1973, land was reclaimed from the Chesapeake Bay and Severn River, removal of Isherwood, Melville, and Griffin Halls, and by moving the stadium off-campus. This allowed room for expansion of Bancroft Hall, and the addition of Mitscher, Michelson, Chauvenet, Alumni, Rickover, and Hopper Halls, and the Nimitz Library. Encroached parade grounds and athletic fields were moved riverside onto the newly filled areas.{{sfn|Poyer|2018|pp=14–16}}

[[Joe Bellino]] (Class of 1961) was awarded the [[Heisman Trophy]] on 22 June 1960. In 1961, the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference was started. The [[United States Department of the Interior|U.S. Department of the Interior]] designated the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy as a [[National Historic Landmark]] on 21 August 1961.

The 1962 fencing team won the NCAA national championship.

In 1963, [[Roger Staubach]], Class of 1965, was awarded the Heisman Trophy.

In 1963, the academy changed from a marking system based on 4.0 to a letter grade. Midshipmen began referring to the statue of Tamanend as the "god of 2.0" instead of "the god of 2.5", the former failing mark.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Poyer, David |title=The Mystery of Tecumseh |magazine=Shipmate |date=August 2008}}{{full citation needed|date=May 2021|reason=Vol., no. & pages}}</ref>

The academy started the Trident Scholar Program in 1963. From 3 to 16 juniors are selected for independent study during their final year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trident Scholar Program |publisher=U.S. Naval Academy |url=http://www.usna.edu/TridentProgram/overview.htm |access-date=17 January 2011 |archive-date=9 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709124249/http://www.usna.edu/TridentProgram/overview.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Professor Samuel Massie became the first African-American faculty member in 1966. On 4 June 1969, the first designated engineering degrees were granted to qualified graduates of the Class of 1969.<ref name="auto1"/> During the period 1968 to 1972, the academy moved beyond engineering to include more than 20 majors. From 1845 to 1968, midshipmen studied identical courses, with the exception of a choice of foreign language. In 1970, the "[[James Forrestal]] Lecture" was created, named for the first [[United States Secretary of Defense|U.S. Secretary of Defense]] in 1947/1949. This has resulted in various leaders speaking to midshipmen, including U.S. Secretary of State, [[Henry Kissinger]], football coach [[Dick Vermeil]], and [[United States Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] Justice [[Antonin Scalia]], and others.<ref>Washington Post, 6 June 2009, page B5, Obit:"Commander of First Vessel to Surface at North Pole"</ref>

In 1972, [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] Georgia Clark became the first female officer instructor, and Dr. Rae Jean Goodman was appointed to the faculty as the first civilian woman. Later in 1972, a decision of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia]] terminated compulsory chapel attendance, a tradition which had been in effect since 1853.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dc.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19700731_0000050.DDC.htm/qx |title=Anderson v. Laird |publisher=Dc.findacase.com |date=31 July 1970 |access-date=8 May 2011 |archive-date=14 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814092331/http://dc.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.19700731_0000050.DDC.htm/qx |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 1973, the new expansive library facility complex was completed and named for [[Fleet admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[Chester W. Nimitz]], Class of 1905.

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Womenatacademy.jpg|thumb|Women on induction day 1976]] -->
On 8 August 1975, Congress authorized women to attend service academies. The Class of 1980 was inducted with 81 female midshipmen. In 1980, the academy included "[[Hispanic]]/Latino" as a racial category for demographic purposes; four women identified themselves as Hispanic in the class of 1981, and these women become the first Hispanic women to graduate from the academy: Carmel Gilliland (who had the highest class rank), Lilia Ramirez (who retired with the rank of [[Commander (United States)|commander]]), Ina Marie Gomez, and Trinora Pinto.<ref>Capt. Gottschalk from the USNA Institutional Research office. Retrieved 31 May 2007</ref> In 1979, the traditional "June Week" was renamed "Commissioning Week" because graduation had been moved earlier to May.<ref name="auto1"/>

In 1980, Elizabeth Anne Belzer (later Rowe) became the first woman graduate, and [[Janie L. Mines]] became the first African-American woman graduate.<ref name="Gates 2011">{{cite book|last1=Gates|first1=Henry Louis|title=Life upon these shores : looking at African American history, 1513–2008|date=2011|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|location=New York|isbn=978-0307593429|edition=1st|url=https://archive.org/details/lifeuponthesesho00gate}}</ref> On 23 May 1984, Kristine Holderied became the first woman to graduate at the head of the class. In addition, the Class of 1984 included the first naturalized Korean-American graduates, all choosing commissions in the U.S. Navy. The four Korean-American ensigns were Walter Lee, Thomas Kymn, Andrew Kim, and Se-Hun Oh.

In 1982, Isherwood, Griffin, and Melville Halls were demolished.<ref name="usna.edu"/>

On 30 July 1987, the [[Computing Sciences Accreditation Board]] (CSAB) granted accreditation for the Computer Science program.<ref name="auto1"/> In 1991, Midshipman Juliane Gallina, class of 1992, became the first woman brigade commander. On 29 January 1994, the first genderless service assignment was held. All billets were opened equally to men and women with the exception of special warfare and submarine duty.

[[File:US Navy 110527-N-OA833-014 Newly commissioned Navy and Marine Corps officers toss their hats during the U.S. Naval Academy Class of 2011 graduation.jpg|thumb|Naval Academy Midshipmen celebrate after graduation.]]
On 12 March 1995, Lieutenant Commander [[Wendy B. Lawrence]], Class of 1981, became a mission specialist in the space shuttle Endeavour. She is the first woman USNA graduate to fly in space.

To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis (1845–1995), the [[United States Postal Service|U.S. Postal Service]] printed a commemorative postage stamp; the First Day of Issue was 10 October 1995.

[[Freedom 7]], America's first space capsule shot into sub-orbit in 1961, was placed on display at the visitor center as the centerpiece of the "Grads in Space" exhibit on 23 September 1998. The late Rear Admiral [[Alan Shepard]], Class of 1945, had flown Mercury program capsule "Freedom 7" {{convert|116.5|mi|km|1}} into space on 5 May 1961. His historic flight marked America's first step in the [[space race]].<ref name="auto1"/>

On 11 September 2001, the academy lost 14 alumni in the [[September 11 attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]] and [[The Pentagon]] in [[Arlington County, Virginia]]. The academy and its bounds was placed under unprecedented high security.<ref name="auto1"/>

In August 2007, Superintendent Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler changed academy policy to limit liberty, required more squad interaction to emphasize that "we are a nation at war."<ref name=WP20070817>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/17/AR2007081702146.html?nav=hcmodule|title=Naval Academy Sets Tough Wartime Rules|author=Vogel, Steve|page=B01|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=17 August 2007|access-date=4 December 2018|archive-date=9 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709232226/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/17/AR2007081702146.html?nav=hcmodule|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 3 November 2007, the Navy football team defeated long-time rival [[University of Notre Dame|Notre Dame]] for the first time in 43 years: 46–44 in triple overtime. The two teams have met every year since 1926 and continue a rivalry that became amicable when Notre Dame volunteered to open its facilities for training of naval officers in [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2005/11/11/Viewpoint/Notre.DameNavy.More.Than.Football.Tradition-1054142.shtml |title=Notre Dame-Navy: More than football tradition |publisher=Media.www.ndsmcobserver.com |access-date=10 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723184200/http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2005/11/11/Viewpoint/Notre.DameNavy.More.Than.Football.Tradition-1054142.shtml |archive-date=23 July 2009}}</ref> Notre Dame's enrollment fell to just 250 students during World War II however the Navy was credited with saving the university by using its campus to train 12,000 men to become officers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111105aaf.html |title=College Football Tradition |publisher=University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site |date=11 November 2005 |access-date=2 October 2008 |archive-date=18 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718120550/http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111105aaf.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In November 2007, Memorial Hall was the venue for a 50-nation [[Annapolis Conference]] on a Palestinian-Israeli peace process discussion.

In 2017, hospital functions were moved across the Severn.<ref name=shipmarch/>

In 2019 the USNA team represented the U.S. in the King's Cup at the [[Henley Royal Regatta]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kingscup.org/|title=The King's Cup|website=The King's Cup|access-date=6 September 2022|archive-date=5 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905112126/https://www.kingscup.org/|url-status=live}}</ref> The race commemorated the centenary of the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta, and included the original World War I allies Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, joined in 2019 by Germany and the Netherlands. After exciting eliminations, the USNA mixed crew won the final race beating the strong German team.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSPmPAXxcM|title=Official YouTube video of the final race|website=[[YouTube]]|date=7 July 2019 |access-date=8 September 2022|archive-date=8 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908034513/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejSPmPAXxcM&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2024, the USNA rescinded the invitation it had given Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a scholar of authoritarianism and fascist movements, to deliver the annual Bancroft Lecture in response to pressure from right-wing politicians.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hutzell |first=Rick |date=2024-10-22 |title=Project 2025 has a plan for the Naval Academy. You should worry. |url=https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/opinion/column/project-2025-naval-academy-ruth-ben-ghiat-heritage-foundation-UQM4A4CHTRH3FGHRO464YY7TJA/ |access-date=2024-10-28 |website=The Baltimore Banner |language=en}}</ref>  Ben-Ghiat's planned lecture was strictly nonpartisan and historical in nature.<ref name=":1" />