The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-06-09

Slowly and steadily it has taken shape. growing and adapting itself to the changes in marine navigation and the progress of science, and crystallizing only in recent years. The American people with a long list of naval heroes from John Paul Jones down, whose body has finally found a resting place on the Se- vern shores, hardly credited the neces- sity Of course in academic book learning" to fit men to go to sea. The class of midshipmen who received their diplomas this spring upon the recom- mendaton of Rear Admiral James IT. Sands enttling thenDto put to sea for two years more training before they may be commissioned as ensgns, have been prepared by d method which only time experience and necessity has perfected
 And yet the Naval school" as it was first called, has not the years at it's com mand that belong to West Point, It was Washington himself who saw the neces- sity for a military academy and 1892 i saw the first work of that institution, but there was no "Father of his coun- try's waters to insist on the inaugura- tion of a Naval academy as result of 
 In the early days of the navy the education of the officers was gained in the practice of their profession. Seaman ship, it was then thought could be ac- quired only by practice; gunnery, such as served Perry, Lawrence Hull, could be learned at the guns only; navigation had no need of theory If the captain or first lieutenant of a ship believed in more definite stated instruction. the mid shpmen might be marshaled for lec- ture, but if the senior officers did not enforce such an academic procedure, what the embyro commodore learned of books was derived entirely from outside sources and upon the vcliuon of the man.
 1t was not until lSi5, in the days of James K. Polk, when George Bancroft was Secretary of the Navy, that the agi- tauon for naval school gained head way. Fomented principally by the young CT officers who saw as the navy in- creased that the requirements were null tipied, the tide began to rise and swept in on the army reservation al Point Se- vern and made it a naval port.
 Early Naval Courses.
 Even then the course under Commander Franklin Buchanan was fixed at five years, of which only the first and last were to be spent at the school and while this arrangement was considered ideal 1t was not adhered to. the exi- gencies of the service making 1t necessary to shorten the period of study. In Jan uary 1S46, four months after the open ing, the students consisted of thirtysiX midshirmen of the date of 1S40, thir- teen of the date of 1S4l and seven act ing middies appointed the previous year. The first group graduated after their limited course of one year in 1S46.
 In 1850 came the first reorga nization providing for a course of seven years the first two and last two to be devoted to study and the three intermediate years to be spent at sea. A suitable vessel was attached to the academy and the annual practice cruise began. Next year a board of directors dropped the three years of sea service in the middle of the course and the present four con secutive years of study was inauguratei. The practice cruise of the summer sup plied the ylace of the omitted sea ser vice and gave better opportunities Tor deii- pits training.