An educational anniversary

Sea Power, Jul 2003

One hundred years ago this month, the Navy League launched its first monthly magazine, The Navy League Journal, which all members received as a benefit of membership. Navy League dues at that time were one dollar per year. Then, as now, the principal goal of the Navy League has been to educate the American people-and, through them, the leaders of the executive and legislative branches of Congress, and the national media-about the importance of sea power, both naval and commercial, to U.S.

national defense and to America's economic well-being. As the organization's influence has increased, though, much of that educational goal has been accomplished through di-rect personal communications between the Navy League's own national officers and the civilian and military leaders of the nation's armed services. Immediate Past National President Timothy O. Fanning, who as a retired rear admiral in the Naval Reserve already had close ties to many other flag and general officers, serves as a particularly good example. Photo at left shows Fanning during a recent meeting at the White House with Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld. Photo above shows Fanning with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard B. Myers, principal speaker at the Navy League's 16 April 2003 Sea-Air-Space Luncheon.