United States Naval Academy

Founded in 1845 by Secretary of the Navy, George Bancroft, the Academy started as the Naval School on 10 acres of old Fort Severn in Annapolis. Since then, the history of the Naval Academy has reflected the history of the United States. As our country has changed culturally and technologically, so has the Naval Academy.

Our midshipmen complete a four-year immersion program that educates them not only in the classroom, but also outside the classroom - in their dormitory, aboard sailboats and yard patrol craft, on the athletic fields and during their summers in the fleet. Here at Annapolis, midshipmen cultivate skills that enable them to excel when they reach their first assignments in the fleet.

The Naval Academy policy is to promote and maintain an environment in which research and scholarly activities contribute to the professional growth of faculty and the educational growth of midshipmen.  In the recent past, faculty and midshipman research have been funded by a variety of sponsoring agencies, including the Office of Naval Research,  the Naval Research Laboratory, the Naval Surface Warfare Center (Carderock and Indian Head), the Naval Air Warfare Center at Patuxent River, as well as by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.