The mayor of Annapolis proclaimed a day of celebration for the city Oct. 13 in recognition of the Navy’s birthday and the long partnership between the city and the U.S. Naval Academy which has stood in Annapolis since 1845.
Mayor Joshua J. Cohen read the proclamation at a celebratory breakfast to an audience that included Annapolis city aldermen, business owners, citizens and members of the Naval Academy staff.
“On behalf of the city, I want to say this celebration makes perfect sense,” said Cohen. “Every city across this country is hurting in different ways, but in Annapolis we are so fortunate because we have what I believe is the largest employer in town that in and of itself brings in more than a million visitors per year to our small town of only 38,000.”
“You can’t understate what the economic impact is,” he added. “We’re known as a hospitality town, and a lot of that is due to this consistent presence of the Naval Academy over many years.”
The mayor went on to recognize the midshipmen for their work on community projects, including Habitat for Humanity, the Mids for Kids tutoring program, raising food for Harvest for the Hungry, and shoveling snow for elderly residents during the February 2010 blizzard.
“The midshipmen have donated so many hours to supporting the community. It’s really remarkable,” said Cohen.
Cohen then went on to talk about the origin of the U.S. Navy, which began with the establishment of the Continental Navy on Oct. 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized two armed vessels to search for ships delivering munitions to the British Army.
After the revolutionary war, all the Navy’s ships were sold, but the Constitution, ratified in 1789, included a provision for Congress to establish a standing navy. The Naval School, which would eventually become the U.S. Naval Academy, was established at Fort Annapolis in 1845.
Cohen presented a City of Annapolis medallion to Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Mike Miller and Commandant of Midshipmen Capt. Robert Clark.
“It’s fascinating when you come back as an alumnus and see how Annapolis continues to grow and change in such a positive way. That’s largely due to the leadership in this room,” said Miller. “The symbiotic relationship between the school, other educational institutions, the political leadership here in the capital, and the great citizens and businesses here that support us – these are the things that make Annapolis such a unique and special place.”
