Herndon Monument facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herndon Monument
United States Naval Academy
Campus of the US Naval Academy
For the loss of William Lewis Herndon
Unveiled	1860
Location	Annapolis, Maryland near  the Naval Academy Chapel
Designed by	unknown
Forgetful of self, in his death he added a new glory to the annals of the sea

The Herndon Monument is a tall stone pillar at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It stands about 21-foot-tall (6.4 m) and is made of grey granite. This monument honors Captain William Lewis Herndon, a brave naval officer. He chose to stay with his ship, the SS Central America, and the men still on board during a terrible storm on September 12, 1857. He made sure all the women and children, and many men, were saved by another ship before his own ship sank.

What is the Herndon Monument?

The Herndon Monument is a large granite pillar given to the Naval Academy by the class of 1860. It was designed by an unknown artist. Its full name is "Commander William L. Herndon, USN 1813-1857."

Messages on the Monument

The Herndon Monument in 1868.

On the monument's base, facing the Naval Academy Chapel, you can find a special plaque. It reads:

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

The name Maury refers to Matthew Fontaine Maury. He was Herndon's co-worker, brother-in-law, and cousin. On other sides of the monument, you can see "HERNDON." and "September 12, 1857." carved into the stone.

The "Plebes-No-More" Ceremony

The Class of 2014 during the climb.

Midshipmen climbing the monument.

The Herndon Monument is famous for a special event called the "plebes-no-more" ceremony. This is when the first-year students, called "plebes," work together to climb the monument. The monument is usually covered in grease to make it extra challenging!

The goal is to replace a plebe's "dixie-cup hat" on top of the monument with a fancier "combination cover" hat. When they succeed, it means their first year at the Academy is officially over.

There's a tradition that the midshipman who places the new hat on top will be the first in their class to become a "Flag Rank" officer. This means reaching a very high position like an admiral. However, this has not actually happened yet.

History of the Climb

The Academy started keeping track of climb times in 1959. In 1962, Midshipman Ed Linz climbed the monument very quickly using a cargo net. Now, using such tools is not allowed.

The fastest time ever recorded was in 1969. Midshipman Larry Fanning climbed it in just 1 minute and 30 seconds. But the monument was not greased that year.

In 1972, Midshipman Michael J Maynard climbed the greased monument in 20 minutes. This is thought to be the fastest time since the tradition of greasing the monument began.

For a while, there was talk about stopping the tradition because of safety worries. In 2010, Vice Admiral Jeffrey Fowler, who was in charge of the Academy, wanted to stop greasing the monument. But his successor, Vice Admiral Michael Miller, brought the tradition back in 2011. He said it helps students build teamwork and feel connected to past classes.

Recorded Climb Times

Here are some of the recorded times for climbing the Herndon Monument: