March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 51 F

USNA names Class Of ’57 Chair in Naval Heritage and Class of ’57 Jr. Research Fellow of Naval History

Chapel Dome USNAThe U.S. Naval Academy History Department welcomes William F. Trimbleof Auburn, Ala., as the new Class of 1957 Distinguished Chair of Naval Heritage and Dr. Jason W. Smith, of Frederick, Md., as the Class of 1957 Junior Research Fellow in Naval History.

“The history department is truly fortunate to have Professor Trimble as our 2015 Class of 1957 Chair in Naval Heritage and Dr. Jason Smith as the Naval Academy’s second Class of 1957 Fellow,” said Naval Academy history department chair Richard Abels. “As the nation’s leading historian of American aeronautics, Professor Trimble will be an invaluable resource for Midshipman and USNA faculty alike,” Professor Abels continued, “and Dr. Smith is precisely the type of exciting and innovative young naval historian that the Fellowship was designed to help.”

Established by the generosity of the United States Naval Academy Class of 1957, the primary purpose of the chair in naval heritage is to foster in the brigade of midshipmen an appreciation and understanding of the importance of naval history to their profession. The Class of 1957 Chair in Naval Heritage brings nationally-renowned naval historians with distinguished records of teaching and publication.

Trimble will be teaching courses on the history of naval aviation and American naval history. He is the recipient of the Admiral Arthur W. Radford Award for Excellence in Naval Aviation History and Literature from the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, and is the author of numerous books and articles on the history of naval aeronautics. His book “Jerome C. Hunsaker and the Rise of American Aeronautics” received the 2003 Gardner-Lasser Award presented by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for best book in the history of aeronautics over a five-year period. His most recent book is “Hero of the Air: Glenn Curtiss and the Birth of Naval Aviation.” Trimble is currently completing a book manuscript on World War II carrier task force commander Adm. John S. McCain, Sr.

The Class of 1957 Junior Research Fellowship in Naval History was established in 2012 to complement the Class of 1957 Chair. Its purpose is to promote the study of naval history by providing young naval historians with the opportunity to pursue, research and teach.

Dr. Jason W. Smith earned his Ph.D. in history from Temple University in 2012. His dissertation, “Controlling the Great Common: Hydrography, the Marine Environment, and the Culture of Nautical Charts in the United States Navy, 1838-1903,” pushes the boundaries of military history by applying the methods and analyzing environment and cultural history, as well as the history of science and cartography in order to understand the rise of American naval power in new ways. He will teach the American Naval History core course and conducting research at Nimitz Library.

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