Herndon Monument
Historic site
title: "Herndon Monument" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["monuments-and-memorials-in-maryland", "1860-sculptures", "united-states-naval-academy-buildings-and-structures", "obelisks-in-the-united-states"] description: "Historic site" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herndon_Monument" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Historic site ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox military memorial"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Herndon Monument |
| body | United States Naval Academy |
| image | [[File:Herndon Monument.jpg |
| caption | Campus of the US Naval Academy |
| commemorates | the loss of William Lewis Herndon |
| location | Annapolis, Maryland |
| nearest_town | the Naval Academy Chapel |
| designer | unknown |
| inscription | Forgetful of self, in his death he added a new glory to the annals of the sea |
| unveiled | 1860 |
| :: |
|name= Herndon Monument |body= United States Naval Academy |image= [[File:Herndon Monument.jpg|200px]] |caption= Campus of the US Naval Academy |commemorates= the loss of William Lewis Herndon |use_dates= |coordinates= |location= Annapolis, Maryland |nearest_town=the Naval Academy Chapel |designer=unknown |inscription=Forgetful of self, in his death he added a new glory to the annals of the sea |established= |unveiled=1860 |total= |unknowns= |commemorated= |by_country= |by_war= |source= }}
The Herndon Monument on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy is a 21 ft grey granite obelisk. It was erected in memory of Captain William Lewis Herndon, who died during the sinking of his ship, SS Central America, on September 12, 1857 while helping to evacuate passengers and crew. All women and children and many of the men aboard were saved by a nearby ship during the storm.
Description
The monument is a 400 x granite obelisk presented to the Academy by the class of 1860. The sculptor is unknown.
Inscriptions
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/A_cadet_looking_at_the_Herndon_Monument,_by_Chase,_W.M.(William_M.),1818-_9-1905.jpg" caption="The ''Herndon Monument'' in 1868."] ::
On the monument's base, facing the Naval Academy Chapel, is a plaque:
::quote {{center| ::
Commander William Lewis Herndon
1818-1857
Naval Officer - Explorer - Merchant Captain
In command of the Central America, home-bound with California gold
seekers, Captain Herndon lost his life in a gallant effort to save
ship and lives during a cyclone off Hatteras, September 12, 1857.
"Forgetful of self, in his death he added a new glory to the annals of the sea" - Maury
Maury is Matthew Fontaine Maury, Herndon's co-worker (from 1842 to 1846), brother-in-law, and cousin.
To the right on the obelisk from the plaque, in raised block letters, is "HERNDON.". On the opposite side of the obelisk, also in raised letters, is "September 12, 1857.".
Ship's bell
Central America′s ship's bell — discovered in her wreck in 1988 and donated to the Naval Academy as a gift in August 2021 — was positioned next to the monument and was dedicated in a ceremony on May 23, 2022.
Herndon Monument Climb
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Herndon_Monument_Climb.jpg" caption="Class of 2014"] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/US_Navy_climbing_pillar_040520-N-9693M-012.jpg" caption="The climbing of the monument by Fourth Class Midshipmen."] ::
The monument is the site of the annual Herndon Monument Climb, known colloquially as the "plebes-no-more" ceremony. First-year students at the academy, known as plebes or freshmen, are expected to work together to scale the monument, with the goal of replacing a plebe "dixie-cup hat" on top with an upperclassman combination cover. Before the climb, the monument is customarily greased by upperclassmen with as much as 50 pounds of vegetable shortening, though some years have opted for no grease. This campus tradition marks the official end of the plebe year.
It is a Naval Academy tradition that the midshipman who replaces the dixie cup hat will be given the Superintendent's combination cover or shoulder boards. Superstition holds that he or she will be the first of his or her class to make flag rank, although this has never actually occurred.
The academy began recording times in 1959. In 1962, Midshipman 4th Class Ed Linz scaled the monument with the aid of a cargo net. Using such devices is now banned.
The record was set in 1969, when Midshipman 4th Class Larry Fanning climbed the ungreased monument in 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Midshipman 4th Class Michael J. Maynard of the Class of 1975 scaled the monument in 20 minutes in 1972, believed to be the fastest time since the tradition of greasing the monument began.
Before the 2010 Herndon Monument climb, Superintendent Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler publicly indicated dissatisfaction with the risk of injury associated with the climbing tradition. Vice Adm. Fowler ordered the Brigade of Midshipmen not to slather the monument with lard "to improve the safety of the event". His successor, Vice Admiral Michael Miller, reinstated the tradition in 2011, saying, "Conducting the ceremonial climb in the same manner as so many previous classes helps to instill spirit and camaraderie among plebes and better links them to the many classes that have gone before them. The Herndon Monument climb serves as a useful event in reinforcing teamwork, organization and leadership."
Table of recorded times
::data[format=table title="Scaling times of the Herndon Monument"]
| Year Climbed | Class Year | Time (H:MM:SS) | Scaler |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1953 | Frederick Graff | |
| 1957 | 1960 | Jose Chavez | |
| 1958 | 1961 | William H. Parks | |
| 1959 | 1962 | John M. Truesdell | |
| 1960 | 1963 | 0:12:00 | John Marlowe Truesdell |
| 1962 | 1965 | 0:03:00 | Ed Linz |
| 1963 | 1966 | 0:42:00 | Thomas L. Gibson |
| 1964 | 1967 | 0:38:30 | Bernard J. Racely |
| 1965 | 1968 | 0:23:07 | David W. Wallace |
| 1966 | 1969 | 1:30:00 | Gerald T. Witowski |
| 1967 | 1970 | 1:21:00 | Jim Zaborowksi |
| 1968 | 1971 | 0:58:00 | Steve DiAntonio |
| 1969 | 1972 | 0:01:30 | Larry Fanning |
| 1970 | 1973 | Phil Ertel | |
| 1971 | 1974 | 0:35:00 | William Jackson |
| 1972 | 1975 | 0:20:00 | Michael Maynard |
| 1973 | 1976 | 1:50:00 | Lawrence J. O'Donnell Jr. |
| 1974 | 1977 | 0:46:00 | Alexander Acera |
| 1975 | 1978 | 1:30:00 | Michael T. Spencer |
| 1976 | 1979 | 0:58:00 | Dwight Crevelt |
| 1977 | 1980 | 2:33:00 | Kenneth Flack |
| 1978 | 1981 | 1:21:00 | Doug Heimbach |
| 1979 | 1982 | 2:09:00 | Jay Gallo |
| 1980 | 1983 | 2:43:00 | Bill Freitag |
| 1981 | 1984 | 1:24:00 | Andreas Bierbrauer |
| 1982 | 1985 | 1:44:50 | Sonny Dean |
| 1983 | 1986 | 1:43:55 | Kevin Delamer |
| 1984 | 1987 | 2:22:00 | Bob Kay |
| 1985 | 1988 | 3:12:23 | Chad Watson |
| 1986 | 1989 | 1:23:07 | Kenneth Grimes |
| 1987 | 1990 | 1:51:20 | Byron Hopkins |
| 1988 | 1991 | 0:43:44 | Melvyn Davis |
| 1989 | 1992 | 1:51:30 | Sam Cook |
| 1990 | 1993 | 1:34:50 | Larry Parker |
| 1991 | 1994 | 2:36:57 | Brad Cougher |
| 1992 | 1995 | 2:21:37 | James Golladay |
| 1993 | 1996 | 1:38:20 | Kepper Pickard |
| 1994 | 1997 | 1:44:20 | Ross Scott |
| 1995 | 1998 | 4:05:17 | Steve Fortmann |
| 1996 | 1999 | 2:08:46 | Joshua Caleb Williams |
| 1997 | 2000 | 2:55:17 | Zachary Guerra |
| 1998 | 2001 | 2:22:55 | Josh Stewart |
| 1999 | 2002 | 2:07:41 | Jason Fahy |
| 2000 | 2003 | 1:19:44 | Nathaniel Jennings |
| 2001 | 2004 | 2:15:52 | Alexander Lim |
| 2002 | 2005 | 2:07:41 | Daniel Knott |
| 2003 | 2006 | 1:19:00 | Daniel Shea |
| 2004 | 2007 | 2:19:24 | Philip Johnson |
| 2005 | 2008 | 1:16:13 | John David Olsen |
| 2006 | 2009 | 1:14:15 | Brian Richards |
| 2007 | 2010 | 1:32:42 | Jamie Shrock |
| 2008 | 2011 | 2:35:59 | Greg Reichel & Kristen Marie Dickmann |
| 2009 | 2012 | 1:14:38 | Schyler Widman |
| 2010 | 2013 | 0:02:02 | Keegan Albi |
| 2011 | 2014 | 2:41:32 | Matthew Dalton |
| 2012 | 2015 | 2:10:13 | Andrew Craig |
| 2013 | 2016 | 1:32:43 | Patrick Lien |
| 2014 | 2017 | 2:19:35 | Mike Landry |
| 2015 | 2018 | 1:38:36 | Javarri Beachum |
| 2016 | 2019 | 1:12:30 | Chris Bianchi |
| 2017 | 2020 | 2:21:22 | Joe McGraw |
| 2018 | 2021 | 2:09:23 | Peter Rossi |
| 2019 | 2022 | 1:05:05 | Christian Schwien |
| 2021 | 2023 | 3:00:39 | James Crossfield |
| 2021 | 2024 | 3:41:00 | Michael Lancaster |
| 2022 | 2025 | 3:36:58 | Nick McGowan |
| 2023 | 2026 | 2:31:51 | Chris Paris |
| 2024 | 2027 | 2:19:11 | Ben Leisegang |
| 2025 | 2028 | 2:27:31 | Augustus Russo |
| :: |
Notes
References
- navy.mil
- http://www.public.usna91.info/TheCapitalVCIII%23141_19880521o.pdf
- https://www.amazon.com/Herndon-Climb-Academys-Greatest-Tradition/dp/1682474380/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=the+climb+herndon&qid=1587500670&sr=8-9
- https://www.usna.edu/PAO/faq_pages/herndon.php
References
- "Herndon Monument, (sculpture)". Smithsonian American Art Museum.
- "HERNDON Monument at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland". dcMemorials.com.
- {{DANFS. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/h5/herndon-ii.htm
- (May 23, 2022). "USNA Gifted Recovered Bell From Fabled "Ship of Gold"". MEDIARELATIONS@USNA.EDU.
- (May 24, 2022). "Fabled Sunken Treasure Ship's Bell Donated to US Naval Academy". coinnews.net.
- Bullfinch, Chris. (May 27, 2022). "Manley donates bell recovered from 1857 shipwreck". Coin World.
- "History and Traditions of the Herndon Monument Climb".
- Hill, Christen. "US Naval Academy 'plebes' climb greased monument to end freshmen year".
- (2023-05-17). "U.S. Naval Academy plebes cap their first year with greasy, grueling Herndon Climb".
- USNA Public Affairs Office. (2015). "Herndon Monument Climb Fact Sheet".
- Ewing, Philip. (May 12, 2010). "Academy supe wants to end Herndon Climb". [[Marine Corps Times]].
- (2010-05-24). "Navy plebe monument climb could be ending".
- (2011-05-24). "Grease returns to Naval Academy climb".
- Johnson, Jenna. (May 23, 2011). "Tradition of properly greased obelisk makes a comeback at Naval Academy". Washington Post.
- First recorded time
- "1964 Annual Register".
- (2009-05-19). "Herndon Monument Climb time: 1:14:38". Capital Gazette Communications, Inc..
- Fastest time officially recorded, although the monument was not greased
- USNA Public Affairs Office www.usna.edu Herndon Monument Fact Sheet
- Fastest time greased Capital Gazette 5-5-2008
- Shipmate, July-August 1977
- Bisbee, Gene. "Monumental madness." ''Annapolis Evening Capital'', May 25, 1979.
- ''The Washington Star'', May 23, 1981.
- "Plebes climb through the ooze to academy respectability". tribunedigital-baltimoresun.
- Longest time
- (2009-05-18). "Herndon Monument Climb time: 1:14:38". Capital Gazette Communications, Inc..
- Ungreased following an order by VADM Fowler, Superintendent of the Naval Academy
- (August 22, 2021). "Class of 2023 Herndon Monument climb {{!}} PHOTOS". Baltimore Sun.
- "Naval Academy Class of 2024 records one of slowest Herndon Monument climbs in history". Washington Post.
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