The U.S. Naval Academy’s Division of Professional Development Director, Capt. Stanley Keeve, recently received the “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award” at the 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Dinner at La Fountaine Bleue in Glen Burnie, Md.
The award recognizes an individual or organization that keeps the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. alive through their words, deeds and actions. The event is hosted by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee.
“The Naval Academy is thrilled to have one of our own honored,” said Naval Academy Superintendent, Vice Adm. Michael H. Miller. “Capt. Keeve plays a key role in admitting the most talented young men and women in America and is directly responsible for preparing them as midshipmen to excel as professional officers in the Navy and Marine Corps through classroom instruction, local navigation and seamanship training on Naval Academy craft, and at sea experiences with operational fleets.”
The mission of the Division of Professional Development is to prepare Midshipmen to become professional officers in the Naval and Marine Corps services. The department provides the opportunity for midshipmen to move out of the classroom and experience life at sea with operational fleets.
Keeve is a native of Landover, Md. and a 1980 graduate from Bladensburg High School. He received a commission in the Navy in 1990 after graduating from College of New Jersey, in Ewing, N.J. and went on to command two navy ships, USS Guardian (MCM-5) in Japan and USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) in Mayport, Fla. Keeve came to the Naval Academy in 2010 and served as the chairman of Seamanship and Navigation from 2010-2011. He is currently serving as the director of the Division of Professional Development and chairman of Naval Academy Admissions Board.
Keeve’s previous personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service, Meritorious Service, Navy/Marine Corp Commendation, Army Commendation, and Navy/Marine Corps Achievement medals.
In 1988, Alderman Carl O. Snowden founded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner. The dinner was designed to honor the legacy of Dr. King by honoring men and women who through their deeds, words, and actions, helped keep his legacy alive. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner, which started in Annapolis, soon outgrew facilities located in the city. The dinner has attracted more than 1,200 patrons annually throughout the metropolitan region.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. committee consists of volunteers from various racial backgrounds who meet monthly to plan for the aforementioned event. The organization is open to anyone who shares the vision of Dr. King and is willing to serve as an active member of the various subcommittees.
