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4 March 2025
Welcome back to our National Maritime Historical Society members and friends who share a love for naval history!
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Happy 100th birthday to NROTC! On this date in 1925 Congress authorized the establishment of an alternative source for commissioning officers after the success of commissioning programs for college graduates in World War I, which produced some very competent officers. For our featured content we offer an updated sidebar from Ready Then, Ready Now, Ready Always: More Than a Century of Service by Citizen Sailors, published a decade ago by the Naval Reserve Centennial Committee.
Last month marked the 210th anniversary of a midshipman who fought in one of the last clashes of the War of 1812. We thank Dr. Judy Pearson for providing the content for our second feature below.
For this week’s Naval History Book Review, we thank NHBR editor Lt. Cdr. Sean Walsh for his take on NHHC historian Tyler Pitrof’s recent book on steam propulsion. A reminder: a shipment of new Naval Institute Press titles has just been received and is included in this week’s book offerings.
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Tuesday Tidings is compiled by Dr. David F. Winkler and Jessie Henderson as a benefit for members of the National Maritime Historical Society and friends of naval history.
As always, comments and naval history news items are welcome at nmhs@seahistory.org.
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ITEMS OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST | |
Tuesday, 4 March – World War II Discussion Forum
Wake Island Wildcat
With Bill Ramsey
8 PM (EST) (Virtual)
“The Indefatigable Howard I. Chapelle,” with John S. Sledge
Lecture at 7 PM EST, Q&A to Follow (Virtual)
Saturday, 8 March – Mariners’ Museum Battle of Hampton Roads Commemoration Day, Newport News, VA
Noon Battle of Hampton Roads Lecture
With John V. Quarstein
10 AM–3 PM
William F. Keeler: The Voice of Monitor Lecture
With Charles W. McLandress
2 PM–3 PM
Saturday, 8 March – Henry Breault Day, Putnam, CT
Celebration of Henry Breault Day, recognizing his achievement as the only enlisted
submariner to receive the Medal of Honor as a submariner
With Ryan Walker, author, The Silent Service’s First Hero
Noon (EST) (in person)
Saturday 8 March – National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, TX
The Urgent Call from Admiral Nimitz to artist Tom Lea
With Adair Margo
11:30 (CST) (in person)
Tuesday, 11 March – National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Fl
Legacy of USS Indianapolis
With Cdr. Hunter Scott
10 AM (EST)
Tuesday, 11 March – World War II Discussion Forum
King’s Navy
With David Kohnen, PhD
8 PM (EST) (Virtual)
Wednesday, 12 March – USS Constitution Museum Virtual Series
USS Constitution’s Journey Around the World: A New Nation Lands on a Global Stage
With Carl Herzog
Noon–1 PM (EST)
Wednesday, 12 March – Naval Order Heritage Night
From Yeomanettes to Fighter Jets: A Century of Women in the US Navy
With Dr. Randy Goergen
8–9 PM (EST) Zoom
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Image courtesy Penn State NROTC | |
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The Naval Reserve Officer Trainings Corps
By Capt. Alexander Monroe, USNR (Ret.)
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program was established in the fall of 1926 after passage of an omnibus bill (HR 2688) on March 4, 1925. Initially, the Navy established units at Harvard, Yale, and Northwestern universities; Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and the University of California at Berkeley.
The NROTC program began modestly with an authorized strength of 1,200 who would ultimately be commissioned in the Naval Reserve. In 1932, the Marine Corps would turn to the program to commission officers into its reserve. Reserve Officers of “suitable rank” were detailed as instructors, academic credit was to be given toward graduation for approved courses, and the officers assigned were to have a faculty rank. Didactic instruction in core subjects such as navigation, engineering, and gunnery were given during the academic year and were supplemented by summer cruises with fleet units. Students earned a modest stipend in the school year and were paid on summer cruises. The initial 1927 summer cruise period conducted aboard battleships such as the Wyoming and Pennsylvania proved successful. NROTC was judged successful not simply because of the excellence of the officers produced, but because those in charge opined that it “was important to be represented in important institutions in different parts of the country.”
The first graduates commissioned in 1930 then joined the organized Naval Reserve. With the need for more officers later in the decade, in 1939 the Navy established units at the University of California at Los Angeles and Tulane. Wartime exigencies were such that by the end of 1941, 27 units were in operation.
NROTC graduates proved themselves in combat, and one of the first postwar tasks faced by Rear Adm. James L. Holloway Jr. was to revamp how the Navy procured officers from sources apart from the Naval Academy. In so doing, the father of the 20th Chief of Naval Operations became the father of NROTC as we know it today. With the advice of civilian educators such as James P. Baxter of Williams College, the program evolved: students would receive tuition, books, and a modest stipend in return for a period of service, initially three years, with the opportunity to augment into the regular Navy. Though there was some initial skepticism expressed by those who viewed the program as less rigorous than Naval Academy education, NROTC would become the Navy’s largest stable commissioning source.
NROTC met, adapted, and overcame the tests of an unpopular war and societal change. The Vietnam War presented difficult times for the program, and units were disestablished at many of the universities, such as Yale and Harvard. At the same time, the program served as an engine of social change in the Navy. In 1968, the Navy established a unit at Prairie View A&M University, a historically black institution, and it has produced senior officers such as Vice Adm. David Brewer, who retired after his tour as commander of Military Sealift Command. In 1972, the secretary of the navy authorized 16 women for enrollment into the program—four years before women would be allowed into the Naval Academy. In 1992, the first 120 Nurse Corps commissions were authorized. As of 2015, the program is carried on in 61 units, and “cross-town” arrangements made through the establishment of consortiums enable students to enroll in over 150 colleges to participate.
In summary, the NROTC program, which began as a venture to produce officers for the Naval Reserve for potential mobilization, has proven its worth both for that initial purpose and as a way of producing high-quality officers for the Navy and Marine Corps of today.
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Notre Dame NROTC Class of 1986 passes in review. Reviewing officer: Father Theodore Hapsburg, president of the University of Notre Dame. Photo courtesy of Midshipman Patrick C. Burns | |
Midshipman Dale Commemoration | |
Naval Order companions Captain Rodgaard, Dr. Pearson, and Commander Bein, at Midshipmen Dale’s grave. Photo courtesy Dr. Pearson | |
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On Saturday, February 22, companions Capt. John Rodgaard, USN (Ret.); Cdr. Nathan Bein, USN (Ret.); and Dr. Judy Pearson of the Naval Order of the United States National Capital Commandery participated in the annual Midshipman Richard Sutherland Dale commemoration ceremony in St. George, Bermuda. The event was hosted by the Friends of St. Peter’s Church. Other attending dignitaries were His Excellency Andrew Murdoch, Governor of Bermuda; Her Worship the Mayor of St. George Quinell Francis; and Acting US Consul Vanya Vukota.
Background
Midshipman Dale was 20 years old and serving on the US frigate President when she encountered a squadron of British ships on 15 January 1815. Though the Treaty of Ghent had been signed the previous Christmas Eve, ending the War of 1812, none of the afloat belligerents were aware of the cessation of hostilities. During the ensuing 15-hour engagement, Dale was severely wounded, and his right leg was amputated; HMS Endymion was captured and brought President to Bermuda’s St. George Harbor.
On arrival in St. George, Midshipman Dale was housed and cared for in Stennett’s Hotel, today known as Stiles House and owned by Butterfield Bank. It was here he died, one week after the treaty was ratified by the US Senate and signed by President James Madison. His father, Commodore Richard Dale, USN, and family were grateful for the care Midshipman Dale received in St. George and erected a large marble stone over his grave in St. Peter’s Church graveyard. Part of the inscription reads “This stone records the tribute of his parents’ gratitude to those inhabitants of St George’s whose generous and tender sympathy prompted the kindest attentions to their son while living, and honoured him, while dead.” Under the leadership of Captain Rodgaard, in 2015 the Naval Order, the 1805 Club, and the Friends of St. Peter’s Church conducted a successful fundraising project to replace the aging marble headstone with a replica.
Service
The annual memorialization of Midshipman Dale was initiated in 1932 by Capt. Scarritt Adams, USN, whose family moved to Bermuda when he was 10 years old. Capt. Adams requested and funded the placing of a wreath on Dale’s gravestone every year on Memorial Day. After World War II, members of the US armed forces took part in the commemorative ceremony until the departure of the US Navy from Bermuda in 1995. The event resumed in 2006 thanks to the efforts of Capt. Adams’s daughter, Louise Hall Reider, and the Friends of St. Peter’s Church charity.
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Dignitaries, officiants and Sea Cadet Corps gather on the steps of St. Peter’s Church following the ceremony. Photo courtesy of Dr. Pearson | |
NAVAL HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS | |
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Too Far on a Whim: The Limits of High-Steam Propulsion in the US Navy by Tyler A. Pitrof, University of Alabama Press, (2024)
Reviewed by Lt. Cdr. Sean Walsh USN (Ret)
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Tyler Pitrof is a historian with the Naval History and Heritage Command’s Public History and Education Section and holds a PhD in military history from the University of Maryland. This book covers the development by the US Navy during the period between World War I and II of steam turbine propulsion plants with higher steam pressures and temperatures to provide increased power density and greater fuel efficiency. Pitrof maintains that the advantages of this development were oversold by a book written in the 1950s by Harold G. Bowen, one of the admirals who was a driving force in propulsion plant development. There was some controversy about it at the time, and the title of the book, Too Far on a Whim comes from the final report of a review conducted by the General Board in 1938 at the direction of the secretary of the navy.
Pitrof traces the adoption of steam propulsion from the 1800s, with reciprocating engines and wood or coal fired boilers, to the adoption of low-speed turbines and oil as the fuel. Along the way, the steam temperature and pressure increased, but plateaued in the early 1920s at about 270 pounds per square inch (psi) and 450 degrees Fahrenheit (deg F).
From a personnel point of view, he discusses how the operating engineers were originally staff corps, not eligible to command ships and frequently in conflict with the line officers who did command. To eliminate this conflict, the two groups were merged in 1899. Interestingly, there is no discussion of the fact that this is unique to the US Navy while all other navies plus the merchant marine have to this day maintained the separation between the two groups. Due to the concern about loss of engineering expertise, then Lt. Samuel M. Robinson (later another player in the development of high steam) suggested the formation of a restricted line community of Engineering Duty Only (EDO) officers to provide that expertise.
The story then shifts to the 1932–38 timeframe, when new destroyers began to be designed and built. The attention of the US Navy had shifted to the Pacific, where longer ranges were needed. By this time, Robinson was a rear admiral and chief of the Bureau of Engineering, and he instigated a program of increasing steam temperature and pressure to increase efficiency based on merchant ship practice and the electric utility industry. In 1936 he was succeeded by Bowen, who continued increasing steam conditions, culminating at 600 psi and 850°F in the Fletcher class. This increased sophistication required higher-quality materials and more complex machinery. Trials after construction showed increased fuel efficiency and greater operating range.
Read full review>>
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NAVAL HISTORY BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW | |
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Friends of WWII Memorial
February 15, 2025
David F. Winkler discusses the forthcoming book for which he is the editor, Destroyers at War, authored by Admiral James L. Holloway III.
Watch here>>
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Maritime Communities Celebrating Milestones
SAVE THE DATES!
24–27 September 2025 • Buffalo, NY
We are delighted to be holding the 12th Maritime Heritage Conference in Buffalo in September 2025.
The conference brings together organizations and participants that engage in all aspects of maritime heritage. This includes maritime museums, historic lighthouses, tall ships for sail training and youth, small craft, marine art, sailing, naval and maritime scholars, advocacy, and more. It is also a gathering of the leadership of the maritime heritage community. Buffalo will host the first Maritime Heritage Conference to be held in the Great Lakes region.
The 12th Maritime Heritage Conference (MHC) will bring together nautical heritage organizations and individuals for an information-packed conference encompassing a broad array of topics on the banks of Lake Erie at historic Buffalo, New York. Following in the wake of the World Canal Conference, which concludes with a bicentennial celebration of the opening of the Erie Canal, the 12th MHC will use that historic milestone to open a three-day program that invites attendees to consider other historic nautical milestones worthy of broader public attention.
The MHC has earned a reputation for its high take-away value, networking opportunities, and camaraderie. The conference steering committee invites you to become involved as a presenter; both session and individual proposals are encouraged. Don’t miss this opportunity to gather with individuals from all segments of the maritime community.
Call for Papers & Session Proposals
Papers and session topics include, but are not limited to:
• Inland Water Commerce and Seaport Operations (Erie Canal bicentennial!)
• Maritime and Naval History (2025 marks USN/USMC 250th Birthday)
• Maritime Art, Literature, and Music
• Education and Preservation
• Underwater Archaeology
• Trade and Communications
• Maritime Libraries, Archives, and Museums
• Marine Science and Ocean Conservation
• Historic Vessel Restoration
• Maritime Heritage Grant Program
• Maritime Landscapes
• National Marine Sanctuaries
• Small Craft
• Shipbuilding
• Marine Protected Areas
Focus sessions include, but are not limited to:
• Non-Profit administration
• Event Management
• Fundraising
• Media and Publications
• Media and Social Media
Submissions
Individual paper and session proposals should include a 250–400 word abstract and a one-paragraph biography about each presenter.
Please e-mail proposals and other queries to Dr. David Winkler at: MHC@seahistory.org
Deadline for proposals for papers and sessions is 31 May 2025.
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Society for Nautical Research Winter Lecture Series 2024–25
The Society for Nautical Research is delighted to announce the schedule for the forthcoming winter lecture series. These online talks will highlight new and ongoing research being undertaken by members of the society and its affiliations. The series aims to promote research into economic, social, political, military and environmental aspects of nautical history, drawing on British, European and international experience.
The 12-part lecture series will be held fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM (UK) between October 2024 to March 2025. Lectures will only be available online (via Zoom) and will be FREE to paying members of the SNR.
Not yet a member?
Sign up now from as little as £22.50 a year. Get access to exclusive events and talks, quarterly editions of the Mariner’s Mirror, and discounts at affiliated museums and gift shops! https://snr.org.uk/become-a-member/
Dates for your calendar:
12th March 2025: Dr. Jo Stanley (independent scholar), “Diversity at Sea: How sharing historical research can make a difference to the present and future of the maritime industry and public understanding”
19th March 2025: Dr. Cathryn Pearce (University of Portsmouth), “‘Bandied about for a place of refuge’: Extreme Weather, Coastal Shipping, and the Loss of Lord Nelson, 1840”
How to attend the lectures?
Zoom details will be circulated prior to each of the lectures but details can also be found in the “events” section of the members area of the SNR website (Click Here).
For any questions or queries please contact the convener (daisy.turnbull@myport.ac.uk).
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UPCOMING NAVAL & MARITIME HISTORY GATHERINGS | |
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27–30 March 2025: Society for Military History (SMH) Annual Meeting, Mobile, AL
9–11 April 2025: Council of American Maritime Museums Annual Meeting, Pensacola, FL
14 May 2025: Annual Meeting of the US Naval Institute, Annapolis MD, 4 PM (EDT)
22–25 May 2025: Canadian Nautical Research Society Annual Conference Port Hope,
Ontario
18–19 September 2025: McMullen Naval History Symposium, US Naval Academy
24–27 September 2025: Historic Naval Ship Association (HNSA) Symposium/12th Maritime Heritage Conference, Buffalo, NY
| PREBLE HALL NAVAL HISTORY PODCAST | |
A naval history podcast from Preble Hall – the United States Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. Preble Hall interviews historians, practitioners, military personnel, and other experts on a variety of naval history topics from ancient history to more current events.
Click here for the latest episode: 245 - Brian Dickinson: Calm in the Chaos>>
Click here for all Preble Hall Podcasts >>
| DRACHINIFEL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | |
Welcome to Navy History Matters, the Naval History and Heritage Command’s biweekly compilation of articles, commentaries, and blogs related to history and heritage. Every other week, they gather the top-interest items from a variety of media and social media sources that link to related content at NHHC’s website, your authoritative source for Navy history.
Click here for most recent article>>
| INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAVAL HISTORY | |
The International Journal of Naval History (IJNH) provides a preeminent forum for works of naval history, researched and written to demonstrable academic standards, with the goal of stimulating and promoting research into naval history and fostering communication among naval historians at an international level. IJNH welcomes any scholarly historical analysis, focused on any period or geographic region, that explores naval power in its national or cultural context. The journal is independent of any institution and operates under the direction of an international editorial board that represents various genres of naval history.
Click here to read the February 2023 edition and archived issues on the IJNH website >>
| SUPPORTING US NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE | |
With the 250th anniversary of the US Navy on the horizon, NMHS seeks your support as we plan to honor those who have provided for our maritime security.
Click here to donate today >>
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