RIAMCO

Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online

For Participating Institutions

Early records of the U.S. Naval War College (RG-01)

Naval Historical Collection, U.S. Naval War College

686 Cushing Road
Newport, RI 02841-1207
Tel: 401-841-2435
email: nhc@usnwc.edu
Website: https://usnwcarchives.org/

Historical note

Chronology

Date Event
7 Aug 1882 Coaster’s Harbor Island is ceded to the U.S. government from Rhode Island
4 Jun 1883 William E. Chandler, Secretary of the Navy, accepts Coaster’s Harbor Island for the U.S. Navy via General Order 33
6 Oct 1884 General Order 325 establishes the Naval War College in Newport
6 Oct 1884-1886 Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce named the first President, Naval War College
8 Sep 1885 First lecture given
1886-1889 Captain A. T. Mahan assumes his first term as NWC President
1886 First lecture on war gaming given by William McCarty Little
11 Jan 1889 Consolidation of NWC with the Naval Torpedo Station ordered by the Navy Department
1889-1892 Captain Caspar F. Goodrich begins the first of two terms as college president
1890 Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783 by Mahan is published
1890-1891 No courses held. Bureau of Navigations cites shortage of officers
May 1892 Luce Hall is completed – first building constructed for NWC
1892-1893 Mahan’s second term as President
1893 No course held
1893-1893 Commander Charles H. Stockton assumes his first term as President
4 Oct 1893 First visit by a Secretary of the Navy, Hilary A. Herbert
1893-1896 Captain Henry C. Taylor named President, Naval War College
1896-1898 Goodrich’s second term as President
1898-1900 Stockton’s second term as President
Mar 1898- Nov 1898 All activities suspended due to United States participation in the Spanish-American War
1900-1903 Rear Admiral French E. Chadwick named President
1903-1906 Captain Charles S. Sperry becomes tenth President, Naval War College
Jun 1904 New library (present day Mahan Hall) is completed
1906-1909 Rear Admiral John Porter Merrell serves as President
1909-1911 Rear Admiral Raymond P. Rodgers serves as President
1911-1913 Term of Captain William L. Rodgers, the last non-flag officer to serve as President
1913-1917 Rear Admiral Austin M. Knight serves as President
1917 Rear Admiral William S. Sims begins his first term as President
1917-1918 Academic activities suspended due to World War I