Maritime Drone: Explorer #12

The History of Innovation Continues: Maritime Drones and 3D Technology in the U.S. Navy

Read about the legacy of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the ever-changing technology that has transformed our world. Read about the legacy of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the ever-changing technology that has transformed our world.  By Michael Deets, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2017

Read more "Maritime Drone: Explorer #12"

Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper: Explorer #11

Sailing the Mathematics Seas: Grace Hopper and Technological Innovation

She was a researcher, a teacher, and a revolutionary. There is a strong chance that without her influence we would not have access to many of the devices that we take advantage of every day. Rear Admiral “Amazing” Grace Hopper’s legacy continues on as many women follow in her footsteps as leaders in the U.S. Navy, as well as the future generation of computer programmers. By Dyllan N. Cecil, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2017

Read more "Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper: Explorer #11"

Admiral Elmo Zumwalt: Explorer #10

The Legacy of Zumwalt: Innovation and Cutting-Edge Naval Technology

Admiral Zumwalt was the youngest person ever to be named Chief of Naval Operations, and he was innovative both in terms of U.S. Navy brown-water (littoral) war-fighting as well as social policies. “Ours must be a Navy family that recognizes no artificial barriers of race, color, or religion. There is no black Navy, no white Navy just one Navy-the United States Navy.”–Admiral Zumwalt By Michael Deets, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2017

Read more "Admiral Elmo Zumwalt: Explorer #10"

William Francis Gibbs: Explorer #9

‘The Most Famous Ship that Didn’t Sink’: The Legacy of William Francis Gibbs

William Francis Gibbs (1886 – 1967) was an American maritime genius, whose most substantial accomplishment was the design of the cutting-edge ocean liner, the SS United States. She has been dubbed, “The Most Famous Ship that Didn’t Sink,” yet many people have never heard of it. The SS United States was the most significant and notable achievement of merchant marine construction America had put forward as of the 1950s, or perhaps ever. By Michael Deets, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2017

Read more "William Francis Gibbs: Explorer #9"

Coleman Kent- Letters Home: Explorer #8

Beyond the Fight: The World War II Letters of Coleman Kent

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Kent spent his career before the Navy as a clerk. But his life drastically changed with Naval Service, especially in 1944 when he was stationed in Oahu, Hawaii. Kent was transported halfway across the world, requiring him to adjust to a new environment, to new people, to a new culture. By Dyllan N. Cecil, Public History Center Fellow, Class of 2017

Read more "Coleman Kent- Letters Home: Explorer #8"

Chester Lozier-Letters Home: Explorer #7

Chester Lozier, World War I, and the Telegram By Melissa Jones, Public History Center Fellow, Class of 2018, Christopher Newport University Editor: Dr. Sheri M. Shuck-Hall, Associate Professor of History, Director of the Public History Center, Christopher Newport University Chester A. Lozier was an electrician in the United States Navy during World War I and […]

Read more "Chester Lozier-Letters Home: Explorer #7"

Siah Carter: Explorer #6

Siah Carter’s Escape to Freedom: The Story of an African American Sailor Aboard the USS Monitor

Explore Siah Carter’s rich and compelling history as an escaped slave who fought for the Union on the innovative ship, the USS Monitor, and the complex, troubling times that surrounded him. His courageous story and his legacy in the U.S. Navy lives on. By Carter Stewart, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2018

Read more "Siah Carter: Explorer #6"

Dr. Aaron S. Oberly-Letters Home: Explorer #5

A Letters Home Account of a Civil War Naval Surgeon By Carter Stewart, Public History Center Fellow, Class of 2018, Christopher Newport University Editor: Dr. Sheri Shuck-Hall, Associate Professor of History, Director of the Public History Center, Christopher Newport University Soldiers who fought in the Civil War lived differently than we do today. They marched […]

Read more "Dr. Aaron S. Oberly-Letters Home: Explorer #5"

Rezin Gist-Letters Home: Explorer #3

Through the Lens of a Kentucky Soldier: Rezin Gist and the War of 1812  By Danielle Moore, Public History Center Fellow, Christopher Newport University, Class of 2016  Editor: Dr. Sheri Shuck-Hall, Associate Professor of History, Director, Public History Center, Christopher Newport University Rezin Gist was born on August 25, 1787, in Baltimore County, Maryland, and […]

Read more "Rezin Gist-Letters Home: Explorer #3"