Existing comment:
An Era of Change:
In little more than twenty years, at the height of the Cold War, the Naval Academy initiated and experienced the most profound, and lasting, changes of its existence. Much of the character and traditions of the school remained; new, however, was the educational system that placed a premium on analytical thought and the expansion of the makeup of the Brigade to reflect better the makeup of American society.
Education Revolution:
For more than a hundred years, since 1850, the Naval Academy's system of teaching midshipmen changed little: summer training cruises and classroom education emphasizing a technical knowledge of shipboard systems and weapons. In the late 1950s, the emphasis began to change, culminating a decade later with the introduction of academic majors programs. No longer would midshipmen follow the same lock-step curriculum, but one designed to produce leaders in the modern Navy and Marine Corps.
Reforming the System:
The Board of Visitors recommended in 1957 an evaluation of the curriculum which they saw as essentially shop courses in naval technology. Two years later, midshipmen were given an opportunity to validate courses, that is take advanced classes if they could show a mastery of the basics. Throughout the 1960s, changes continued: minors were introduced in 1964, and five years later 24 majors programs were recognized. Indicative of the new educational program was the fact from 1959 to 1978, the number of academic courses offered at the Naval Academy increased from forty to more than 500. |