The United States Naval Academy Prepares to Hosts the 69^th MORS Symposium

Prof W. Charles Mylander, wcm@nadn.navy.mil

 

Annapolis is the home of the United States Naval Academy, the Navy’s undergraduate professional college.  The Academy is located at the mouth of the Severn River as it empties into the Chesapeake Bay.  Its academic facilities provide an excellent setting for the 69th MORS Symposium.  The historical town of Annapolis with its proximity to Washington and Baltimore offers many interesting diversions.

 

At the Naval Academy Professor Charles Mylander is the deputy chair-logistics for the 69th Symposium.  LtCol Scott Poindexter is supervising the security preparations.  Security is a difficulty issue in hosting a MORS meeting because the academic buildings are designed to provide fast and easy access via many routes for the students to quickly move between classes.  CDR Tom Logue is the site coordinator and he is also handling VIP visits and coordinating the Academy’s welcoming of MORS.  The web master for the Academy’s web site for the meeting (http://www.nadn.navy.mil/Users/math/tjs/MORS/default.htm) is Professor Tom Sanders.  He is also making the arrangements to provide computer and audio/visual support for the meeting.  LCDR Johnna Marchant is working the arrangements for the many functions involving food at the meeting.

Naval Academy History

 

In 1845 the Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft consolidated the education and training of midshipmen at Annapolis.  The Naval School started classes in October with a class of 50 midshipmen and seven instructors, four officers and three civilians.  The curriculum included mathematics and navigation, gunnery and steam, chemistry, English, natural philosophy and French.  In 1850 the Naval School became the United States Naval Academy, the undergraduate college of the US Navy.  The current program of four years of academic study with at-sea summer training was adopted.  During the Civil War the Academy was moved to Newport, RI, and was re-located to Annapolis in 1865.

 

As the United States Navy grew over the years, the academy expanded from ten acres to a 338-acre complex.  At the peak of the cold war there were over 4,400 midshipmen in the brigade.  The brigade of midshipmen has since been reduced to approximately 4,100 students.  This May the Academy expects to commission about 850 US Navy officers and 150 US Marine Corps officers.  The Naval Academy has evolved in response to the changing needs of the naval service.  In 1933 the Naval Academy was authorized, along with her sister academies, to grant graduates a Bachelor of Science degree in addition to a commission.  The opportunity for midshipmen to select an academic major began in 1968.  Women students entered the Academy in 1976.  The Academy’s basic mission over the years, however, has remained unchanged:  “To develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to provide graduates who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government.”

 

Midshipmen  now are offered a choice of 19 majors and all essentially take a double minor in military science and engineering.  They can major in subjects as diverse as English and History or chose from seven engineering disciplines.  When the Academy initiated the majors program in 1968 Operations Analysis was a choice.  Ten years later Admiral Kinnaird R. McKee set in motion the process of terminating the Operations Analysis (OA) major.  The OA courses were moved into the Mathematics department and are elective courses for mathematics majors.  A few OA courses are required of the General Science majors and Quantitative Economics majors, and others open to them as electives. Quantitative Economics is the Academy’s newest major.

Sites to See at the Naval Academy

 

While you are attending the MORS Symposium at the Academy you owe it to yourself to see more of the Academy than just its classrooms and lecture halls.  Visitors are welcome to enter the front doors of Bancroft Hall, one of the world’s largest dormitories and view its beautiful entrance hall and visit a special midshipman “sample room.”  Then walk up the broad stairs to Memorial Hall, which honors academy graduates killed in action.  There you can view battle flags from the War of 1812 along with other memorials.  A splendid view of the Severn as it flows into the Chesapeake Bay is visible from the Memorial Hall’s windows. 

 

Nearer to the meeting rooms on Maryland Avenue is the Naval Academy Museum, housed in Preble Hall.  It has a collection of paintings, prints and artifacts depicting naval history.  The gem of the collection, however, is the Gallery of Ships.  It houses a collection of over 100 antique wooden ship models.  Many of the models are “dockyard” models built by order of the Royal Navy as part of the process to gain support for ship construction.  There is also a smaller collection of bone models built and sold by prisoners-of-war held by the British during their wars from 1765 to 1815, mostly Frenchmen but also some Americans.  Housed in the same building is the US Naval Institute Bookstore.

 

Other sites you will not want to miss include the US Naval Academy Chapel, the Cathedral of the Navy.  The chapel windows were designed by Tiffany Studios.  Below the chapel is the ornate crypt of John Paul Jones.  His remains had been transferred from a Parisian cemetery and honorably laid to rest here in 1905.  It is interesting to compare Jones’ crypt with Napoleon’s. 

 

A visit to the Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center on the far side of the “Yard” offers more interesting Academy exhibits, a chance to buy Naval Academy memorabilia, and a fine view of the Annapolis inner harbor.

 

For more information about the US Naval Academy visit the web at http://www.nadn.navy.mil/aboutusna.htm.

Annapolis Sites to Visit

 

Annapolis has a proud history dating back to colonial days.  It was settled in the 1640’s by Puritan exiles from the Virginia colony.  At the end of the seventeenth century the capital of the colony was moved to Annapolis with the meeting of the colonial legislature in 1695.  General Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the State House in January 1784.  The Continental Congress meet  here from November 1783 to June 1784.  The State House is the oldest state house still being used for legislative meetings.  It is open to the public and Maryland’s copy of the Constitution is on display.  The State House is three blocks from the Academy and its dome is the white one behind the Chapel’s dome.

 

The smallest, but highest dome on the Annapolis skyline is that of McDowell Hall at St. John’s College.  The college was chartered in 1784 as a continuation of King William’s school which had been founded by an act of the Maryland colonial legislature in 1696.  Standing on the porch of McDowell Hall and looking down Prince George Street to the harbor you view part of the historical portion of the town.

 

A number of residences dating from the eighteen century still stand and several are open to the public.  Two of the grand houses built in 1774 and now open to the public are passed on the walk along Maryland Avenue from the Chapel to the State House.  The Chase-Lloyd House is on the right side Maryland Ave and the Hammond-Harwood House on the left side.  Near these houses on Prince George Street is the elegant Paca House with its grand garden.  Constructed in 1763-1765 it was the town house of William Paca, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

 

From the State House walking away from the Academy past the Governor’s mansion takes you to Church Circle.  Walking either down Main Street or West Street off the circle you will find many of Annapolis’ restaurants.  There are also restaurants on Maryland Avenue, State Circle and around the inner harbor.  Another interesting place to visit is the Banneker-Douglass Museum just off Church Circle on Franklin Street.

 

Below are some web sites you may find useful when preparing to visit Annapolis, MD.

A map of downtown Annapolis: http://www.capitalonline.com/tour.html.

The USNA mathematics department history: http://www.usna.edu/MathDept/website/NewsEvents/History/History.htm

Information about the Naval Academy museum: http://www.usna.edu/Museum

A listing of Annapolis sites of interest to visitors: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/tour.html

Annapolis area info: http://www.azinet.com/annaarea.html

The city’s web site: http://www.ci.annapolis.md.us

A list of Annapolis restaurants: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/lw_restaurants.html

 

 

 

Junior/Senior Analyst Special Session

For the 69^th MORSS

James L. Wilmeth III,  jwilmeth@logicon.com

 The Junior/Senior Analyst program will take place for the twelfth consecutive year at the 69^th MORS Symposium at the US Naval Academy.   Historically, this event (conducted during Special Session periods of the MORS Symposium) has been very successful and has drawn both junior and mid-level audiences.  Customarily MORS offers two separate sessions, each on consecutive days.  The idea is to accommodate those who enjoy visiting with and listening to leading senior analysts known to most of us, while enabling our more junior analysts to focus on their concerns with mid-level, well established MORSians closely aligned with the analytical community of today.

 

We expect that the first session will be scheduled for the Tuesday afternoon Special Session time slot in an auditorium that will accommodate a relatively large number of participants.  The session will be open to all to hear distinguished senior analysts discuss topics relating to this year’s theme in particular and to the world of operations research in general.  After introductory remarks from each of the seniors, the balance of the period will feature a moderator-led Q&A session from the floor.  This session was enormously successful last year at the Air Force Academy.  We hope to duplicate or surpass it this year.

 

Session two, presently scheduled for the Wednesday afternoon Special Session time slot in smaller classrooms, will be dedicated exclusively to the junior analyst.  We define junior analyst as one who is relatively new to the Military Operations Research world and will benefit from the wisdom provided by those more seasoned analysts who have “been around”.  It will follow a format that has been successful in the past.  There will be at least four meeting rooms separated along Service and Joint duty lines featuring mid-level experienced analysts who are familiar with the day-to-day problems and issues facing the OR community today.  The sessions will feature two seniors, each of whom will address the concerns of the attendees.  It is envisioned that the questions and discussions will focus on career paths within the Military OR world and other “Hot” topics important to junior analysts.  It is at this second session that junior analysts will have the opportunity to meet with those more experienced analysts who are currently making significant contributions to military analysis and national security issues.  We emphasize that, while all are welcome, the focus will be on the junior analyst during the Wednesday sessions.  If last year was any indication, the sessions should feature no-holds-barred discussions and lively interchanges.

 

A complete list of senior analysts participating in both sessions will be published in an upcoming issue of the PHALANX.  Questions about the program may be directed to the program co-chairs:

 

 

 

Guest Program

 

Take advantage of the opportunity to sail through the past with the 69^th MORSS Guest Program.  It is an exciting itinerary that includes historic walking tours of downtown Annapolis and the Naval Academy.  Enjoy a fresh seafood lunch on the dock at Phillips Seafood Restaurant, shopping at unique boutiques in downtown Annapolis and a relaxing harbor cruise. 

 

New to this program is a visit to Historic London Town and Gardens. London Town was one of colonial Maryland's few early towns and one of the colony's important centers of transportation and trade.  While visiting we will find diverse experiences in history, archaeology and horticulture providing us a unique look into the past.  This tour will include lunch.

 

You will have all this for one low price of $195.00 per person.  Look for the Guest Program Tour Form on page 29 of the 69^th MORSS Registration Packet and be sure to return it to us by 4 May 2001 so you do not miss out on this opportunity.  Please join us for a fun and educational adventure!

 

69^th MORSS Poster Session

 

POSTER PRESENTATIONS - Tuesday and Wednesday (12-13 June 2001)

Coordinators: MAJ Jean McGinnis, jean.mcginnis@ocar.army.pentagon.mil and Ms Sherry Barnes, sbarnes@jwac.osis.gov 

 

The 69th MORSS Poster presentations will be on continuous display in on Tuesday and Wednesday, 12-13 June 2001.  This venue will provide both viewers and presenters opportunities to meet, view and discuss presentations.  Set up of posters must be completed by noon Tuesday and can be removed on Wednesday after lunch or early Thursday morning.  We are currently soliciting participation from all interested parties to include the Barchi and Rist Prize winners.  If you are interested in participating please contact the above listed coordinators at the earliest possible date. All poster presentations must be unclassified.  Participants will be notified of their selection.  Don't let this opportunity sail by!