Naval Academy
2 of the 6 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Naval Academy. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
UNITED STATES. See UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY. NAVAL INSIGNIA. The devices used to indicate the ranks, ships, and squadrons of officers in naval service. Those 6 ⑦ 10 क * - = NAVAL INSIGNIA-OFFICERS' INSIGNIA ON COLLAR 9. Lieutenant 10. Lieutenant Junior Grade 11. Ensign devices, which take the form of stars, gold lace, anchors, leaves, stripes and the like, are those, like the uniforms, in vogue among the navies of the world, differing only in details. In the United States navy the insignia used are representative of those in use in the navies of other countries. The rank of the officer is shown by gold lace on the sleeve and devices on the collar, epaulet and shoulder. Admirals wear two stripes of two-inch lace and one stripe of half-inch lace between them. Rear-admirals have one stripe of two-inch lace and one of half-inch lace above it. Captains have four stripes of half-inch lace; commanders, three stripes of half-inch lace; lieutenant-commanders, two stripes of halfinch lace and a stripe of one-quarterinch lace between them; lieutenants, two stripes of half-inch lace; lieutenants of the junior grade, a stripe of half-inch lace and a stripe of one-quarter inch lace above it; ensigns, one stripe of halfinch gold lace. A gold star on the sleeve above the ace indicates officers of the line of executive branch. The lace is worn on the shoulder instead of on the sleeve on the overcoat and white service coat. The rank emblem and corps device are the devices indicating rank which are worn on the epaulet and collar. The corps ornament is a silver foul anchor for line officers and sprig of silver oak leaves for pay corps. In the case of the medical 0 ② ④ ★ 1. Admiral of the Navy 5. Commodore 2. Admiral 6. Captain 3. Vice-Admiral 7. Commander 4. Rear-Admiral corps a gold oak leaf and silver acorn are worn; a silver cross indicates chaplains; professors of mathematics are indicated by a silver oak leaf and acorn; two gold live-oak leaves and acorn show naval constructors, and civil engineers are indicated by letters C. E. in silver. Ensigns wear only the corps device. A lieutenant of the junior grade has one bar; a lieutenant commander, a gold oak leaf; a commander, a silver oak leaf; a captain, a silver eagle; a rear admiral, two silver stars and a silver foul anchor or other corps ornament between them; an admiral, four silver stars with a gold foul anchor under the outer ones. On the overcoat the shoulder mark and mohair stripes indicate the rank. A crossed anchor for boatswains, a bursting shell for gunners, a gold chevron for carpenters, a gold propeller for warrant machinists, are collar ornaments in the rank and file.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
. See Annapolis
What Has Changed in the Last Century
When Collier's compiled this in 1921 it simply pointed readers to Annapolis, where the Naval Academy had been training an all-male, all-white corps since 1845. The Academy is still on the Severn, with a brigade of roughly 4,400 midshipmen, but Congress opened it to women in 1975; the first 55 women graduated in 1980, and women now make up close to a third of each class. The insignia table has also dated in places: "Admiral of the Navy" was a rank created for George Dewey alone and died with him in 1917, the five-star fleet admiral was added in 1944 for the Second World War, and the separate commodore's star has given way to "rear admiral (lower half)."
Written for this edition, 2026.