The United States Naval Academy Museum is pleased to announce its inaugural cadre of Non-Resident Fellows for 2020-2021. The purpose of the fellowship is to support part of the museum’s mission to inform USNA faculty, staff, midshipmen and the community at large about the history of the Naval Academy.
“The Naval Academy has a rich history,” said Naval Academy Museum Director Dr. Claude Berube. “While there have been some extraordinary histories written, there are a lot of topics that have yet to be explored. This fellowship program will allow the Academy to understand more of our history, which is particularly poignant in 2020, during the commemoration of our 175th anniversary.”
The first cadre of fellows will serve a term of two years during which they will conduct research on a specialized topic at the suggestion of the Museum and Nimitz Library Special Collections & Archives staff.
The inaugural U.S. Naval Academy Museum Non-Resident Fellows are:
- Shannon Martin McClain. Mclain graduated from the Naval Academy in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in honors history. She was a member of the women’s glee club and a coxswain for the women’s crew team. She served for 20 years as a naval aviator with multiple deployments and was an Olmstead Scholar, earning a Master of Social Science in history from the University of Latvia.
- Stephen Phillips. Phillips graduated from the Naval Academy in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in political science. He was a Surface Warfare Officer and an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer for 20 years. He completed a Master of Science in strategic intelligence at National Defense University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in war studies at King’s College.
- Holly Powers. Powers earned both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in history from Florida International University. Since 2012, Powers has served as a liaison with the Council of Class Presidents and various USNA departments for the United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation. She acts as the primary source for the retrieval of Alumni Association and class-related history, assists alumni and family in the preservation of historical material and transfer of material to appropriate archives, and coordinates class reunions for USNA graduates.
At the conclusion of their research, the fellows will write a summary report of their research findings which will be presented at the museum’s annual Shifley Lecture. The Shifley Lecture Series is funded by the Class of 1950 Museum Endowment in recognition of the significant contribution made by the Shifley Trust. Frances Shifley established the trust following the death of her husband, Vice Adm. Ralph L. Shifley, a 1993 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, as well as a highly decorated naval aviator. He participated in WWII operations against the Japanese at New Guinea, Saipan, Guam, the Palaus, and the Philippines. Foremost among those engagements was the Battle of the Philippine Sea, where he led his air group to be first over the target, inflicting great damage on the Japanese fleet. For this action he was awarded the Navy Cross, having been awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for earlier exploits; the Essex-class aircraft carrier USS Bunker Hill (CV17) and its carrier air group were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
