In this year, which marks the 175th anniversary of the United States Naval Academy and the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Rock, the Brigade of Midshipmen will have no Thanksgiving holiday for the first time in decades. The decision to limit midshipmen to yard liberty stems from concerns over the possible spread of COVID-19 through the brigade. Given the unusual circumstances of 2020, it seems appropriate to investigate how the Naval Academy has celebrated Thanksgiving over the years.
Although President George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a national day of thanksgiving and prayer, and subsequent presidents including John Adams and James Madison declared days of national thanksgiving and prayer, there was no regular observance of Thanksgiving throughout the country until 1863. With the exception of presidential proclamations, for most of the period from the founding of the country until President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving, it was up to individual states to observe the holiday. For example, on November 28, 1846, Niles’ Weekly Register (published in Baltimore) reported,
“Thanksgiving Day—the 26th of November, 1846, was, by proclamation of the several governors, observed as a day of thanksgiving, humiliation, and prayer, in the states of New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, and Iowa, and the city of Washington. Thanksgiving day, in New England, is to the domestic and family circles, what Christmas is to the rest of the Union, an occasion of home gathering and hillarity [sic]. The Boston Journal states, that fifty-four tons of poultry came over the Boston and Providence railroad from Rhode Island on Saturday last. The way that pumpkins suffer on these occasions too, is incredible. If gratitude to the only Giver of good gifts, is truly expressed in being joyful, a full feast of fat things contributes incense to the altar.”
The first mention of any recognition of Thanksgiving Day at the Naval Academy occurs on November 26, 1857, when Superintendent George S. Blake issued an order suspending academic activities from 1:30 p.m. until evening parade. This brief respite from studies to acknowledge the holiday continued through 1860. In 1861, after the outbreak of the Civil War and with the academy at Newport, Rhode Island, “the routine of the Sabbath” was observed, “that day [November 28] having been appointed by his Excellency, the Governor of this State, as one of Public thanksgiving.” Chaplain David X. Junkin officiated at divine service, eleven midshipmen received special leave to dine out with friends, and all midshipmen not under quarantine received liberty for the afternoon until evening parade at 6 p.m. The holiday continued to be observed in a similar manner while the academy was at Newport.
When President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday, he had not fixed the date, and although the last Thursday in November became customary, in 1865, Thanksgiving Day was celebrated on December 7. The Naval Academy had returned to Annapolis and Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter was superintendent. Under Porter’s tenure, the academy became known as “Porter’s Dancing Academy” because of the number of social functions held at the school. It is no surprise, therefore, that on Thanksgiving eve, the second class midshipmen, with Porter’s permission, held a “hop” in the lyceum from 8:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thus was born the tradition of a dance at the academy on the evening prior to Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving Day itself, divine service was held in the morning and the academic routine suspended until evening.
Athletic events began to be associated with Thanksgiving Day at the academy when, in 1870, the academy’s baseball team played the Arlington club of Washington, D.C. According to the journal of the officer-in-charge, the final score was 23 to 20 “in favor of Academy Nine.” Through the 1880s and 1890s, the midshipmen engaged in a “programme of sports” on Thanksgiving Day. For several years, a greased-pig race became part of the competition as the closing event. Typical is the description given in the Army and Navy Journal of November 27, 1880:
“The naval cadets amused themselves on Thanksgiving day with various athletic exercises which were witnessed by crowds of spectators. The Naval Academy band was in attendance. The five-mile walk was contested by M.A. Orlopp and G. Perry. Orlopp, cadet midshipman, won in 48:83. The second was the potato-race, with three contestants. Isaac H. Quinby, cadet engineer, was the winner in 8:32. The 100 yards’ dash was won by John G. McWhorter, cadet midshipman. Time—0:10 ¾. The mile walk was won by O.E. Weller, cadet midshipman. Time—9:07. The wheelbarrow race, distance 100 yards, the competitors all blindfolded, created much amusement. There were five contestants. The race was won by cadet midshipman Harry George. Time—0:17 ½. The mile run was won by Cadet Engineer W.S. Smith. Time—5:31. The tug of war was a contest of the second and fourth divisions against the first and third. The second and fourth walked right away with their opponents. Eight on a side were then selected, and the second trial of strength was won by the second and fourth. Next followed a hurdle race and pole vaulting. The exercises were closed with a grand parade and burlesque tournament of about 75 cadets in masquerade dress. Some were on foot and others mounted on the worst specimens of horse and mule flesh to be found in Annapolis. The tournament is described as grotesque beyond description.”
The first football game played at the Naval Academy on Thanksgiving Day occurred in 1882, when the school’s team played the Clifton Club of Baltimore. From 1884 to 1888, the Navy team played Johns Hopkins University. In 1890, the Army and Navy Journal reported:
“….The game Thanksgiving with Lehigh University was won by Lehigh, 24 to 4. The Lehigh men were much larger than the cadets. Friday the team leaves in a special car for West Point, to cross swords with the Army, as it were, on the foot ball field. This will have been the first time that the two Government institutions have had a chance to meet in any kind of sports, and the game naturally excites a great deal of interest in Army and Navy circles.
An elaborate programme of sports was carried out on Thanksgiving forenoon, the afternoon being reserved for the football game.
Robison, ’91, won the 100 yds. dash in 10 4-5 s.; the running broad jump, 16ft. 10 in.; standing broad jump, 10 ft.; running high jump, 5 ft. 1 in.; hop, step and jump, 38 1/3 ft.
Pearson, ’93, won the 16 lb. hammer throw, 59 ft. 5 in., and Robison was second with 55 ft.
Gelm, ’94, won the putting 16 lb. shot, 29 ft. 4 in., and Pearson, ’93, was second, 27 ½ ft.; Emrich, ’91, won in kicking foot ball, 139 ft.; Laws, ’91, second, 128 ½ ft.; Douglass, ’93, won the 55 yds sack race. No time. Hasbrouck, ’92, was second in the 100 yds. dash; Laws, ’91, in the running broad jump; Reeves, ’94, in the standing broad jump, and Laws, ’91, in the running high jump and the hop, skip and jump.”
The 1890 game began the tradition of Navy playing Army in football on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
In addition to hops and football, the midshipmen also traditionally had a Thanksgiving dinner with printed menus. In 1911, Ellsworth Davis wrote home to his mother that “the dinner couldn’t have been better. Everything was excellent and cooked to a turn.” The 1945 Washington Post noted that 3,200 pounds of turkey, along with cranberry sauce, “olives, pickles, celery, sage dressing, giblets, mashed potatoes, young June green cauliflower, dinner rolls, apple pie and fruits” would be served to 3,000 midshipmen. In 1946, the newspaper was more precise about the quantities that would be set before the 2,700 members of the brigade: “15 gallons of sweet pickle ring, 15 gallons of queen olives, 600 pounds of celery, 2900 pounds of turkey, 700 pounds of peas, 900 pounds of carrots, 5500 dinner rolls, 90 gallons of coffee. They will also be supplied with cigarettes, a special treat for the occasion.”
In 1941, Congress established the fourth Thursday in November as the federal holiday for Thanksgiving. Midshipmen continued to receive liberty on Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday until the evening meal. While there was some variation, essentially the same pattern as had been established during David Dixon Porter’s superintendency continued. It has only been since 1987 that the Brigade of Midshipmen has received leave for the Thanksgiving holiday. So while the midshipmen of 2020 will regret that they cannot leave the academy grounds, they should know that for most of the academy’s history, midshipmen have had yard or town liberty, with sometimes privileges to go a little further afield to Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, and nothing more.
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