The Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Prize in Naval History was an annual prize given between 1986 and 2011 by The New York Council of the
Navy League of the United States
The Navy League of the United States, commonly referred to as the Navy League, is a national association with nearly 50,000 members who advocate for a strong, credible United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard and ...
, the
Roosevelt Institute
The Roosevelt Institute is a liberal American think tank. According to the organization, it exists "to carry forward the legacy and values of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by developing progressive ideas and bold leadership in the service of rest ...
, and the
Theodore Roosevelt Association The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) is a historical and cultural organization dedicated to honoring the life and work of Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), the 26th President of the United States.
The group is based in Oyster Bay, New York, whe ...
. It was given for the best book on American naval history published in the previous calendar year. The prize commemorated
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
and
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, who both served as
Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy.
From 1861 to 1954, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was the second-highest civilian office in the Depar ...
, and who both supported the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
as
presidents of the United States
The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and ...
.
The judges for the prize included specialists in
naval history
Naval warfare is combat in and on the sea, the ocean, or any other battlespace involving a major body of water such as a large lake or wide river. Mankind has fought battles on the sea for more than 3,000 years. Even in the interior of large lan ...
such as faculty members at the
U.S. Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...
,
U.S. Naval War College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...
,
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...
,
U.S. Coast Guard Academy
The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is a service academy of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1876, it is the smallest of the five U.S. service academies and provides education to future Coast G ...
,
U.S. Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
,
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a Public college, public United States senior military college, senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one ...
, and
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
.
List of prize winners
* 1986 — Ronald Spector, ''Eagle Against the Sun'', (Vintage Books, 1985)
* 1987 —
Edward L. Beach, Jr.
Edward Latimer Beach Jr. (April 20, 1918 – December 1, 2002) was a highly decorated United States Navy submarine officer and best-selling author.
During World War II, he participated in the Battle of Midway and 12 combat patrols, earning 10 de ...
, ''The United States Navy: 200 Years'', (Henry Holt, 1986)
* 1988 — Robert Erwin Johnson, ''Guardians of the Sea: A History of the U.S. Coast Guard, 1915 to the Present'', (Naval Institute Press, 1987)
* 1989 — James R. Reckner, ''Teddy Roosevelt’s
Great White Fleet
The Great White Fleet was the popular nickname for the group of United States Navy battleships which completed a journey around the globe from December 16, 1907 to February 22, 1909 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Its mission was t ...
: The World Cruise of the American Battle Fleet, 1907–1909'', (Naval Institute Press, 1988)
* 1990 —
B. Mitchell Simpson
Lieutenant Commander B. Mitchell Simpson III, U.S. Navy (Ret.) (born Philadelphia, PA, 1932-died Cambridge, MA, 9 May 2019), was a professor of law, attorney, former naval officer, and naval historian, who is best known for his biography of Adm ...
, ''Admiral
Harold R. Stark
Harold Rainsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939 to March 26, 1942.
Early life a ...
: Architect of Victory, 1939–1945'', (University of South Carolina Press, 1989)
* 1991 —
Francis Duncan
Francis Duncan CB (1836 – 16 November 1888) was a Royal Artillery officer, lawyer, historian and Conservative politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1888.
Life
Duncan was born in Scotland, the son of John Duncan and his wife ...
, ''
Rickover
Hyman G. Rickover (January 27, 1900 – July 8, 1986) was an admiral in the U.S. Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors offi ...
and the Nuclear Navy: The Discipline of Technology'', (Naval Institute Press, 1990)
* 1992 — Edward Miller, ''
War Plan Orange
War Plan Orange (commonly known as Plan Orange or just Orange) is a series of United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Joint Army and Navy Board war plans for dealing with a possible war with Empire of Japan, Japan during the interwar years, years bet ...
: The U.S. Strategy to Defeat Japan, 1897–1945'', (Naval Institute Press, 1991)
* 1993 —
Townsend Hoopes
Townsend Walter Hoopes II (April 28, 1922 – September 20, 2004) was an American historian and government official, who reached the height of his career as Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1967 to 1969.
Biography
Hoopes, known as Tim, w ...
and
Douglas Brinkley
Douglas Brinkley (born December 14, 1960) is an American author, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities, and professor of history at Rice University. Brinkley is the history commentator for CNN, Presidential Historian for the New York Histori ...
, ''Driven Patriot: The Life and Times of
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.
Forrestal came from a very strict middle-class Irish Catholic fami ...
'', (Knopf, 1992)
* 1994 — Gary Weir, ''Forged in War: The Naval-Industrial Complex and American Submarine Construction, 1940–1961'', (Naval Historical Center, 1993)
* 1995 — Joseph H. Alexander, ''Utmost Savagery: The Three Days of
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Raimondo Luraghi, ''The History of the
Confederate Navy
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...
'', (Naval Institute Press, 1996)
* 1997 — James McPherson and
Patricia McPherson
Patricia McPherson is a former American actress and activist best known for her role in the 1980s TV series ''Knight Rider'' as Bonnie Barstow.
Early life
McPherson was born in Oak Harbor, Washington. She is the daughter of a naval officer. She ...
Persian Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
'', (United States Naval Institute, 1999)
* 2000 — Bill Gilbert, ''Ship of Miracles'', (Triumph Books, 2000)
* 2001 —
John H. Schroeder John Schroeder is an American educator and administrator. He was chancellor of University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee from 1991 to 1998.
Background
Schroeder graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a B. A. in 1965 and received an MA and Ph.D ...
, ''
Matthew Calbraith Perry
Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the op ...
: Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat'', (Naval Institute Press, 2001)
* 2002 — Greg Kennedy, ''Anglo-American Strategic Relations and the Far East 1933–1939'', (Frank Cass Publishers, 2001)
* 2003 —
Nathaniel Philbrick
Nathaniel Philbrick (born June 11, 1956) is an American author of history, winner of the National Book Award, and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His maritime history, '' In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex,'' which tells ...
, ''Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838–1842'', (Viking, 2003)
* 2004 —
Spencer Tucker
Spencer Jacob Tucker was born 1865 in Christchurch and died 8 July 1948 in Wellington. He was a New Zealand cricketer who played for the Wellington Firebirds in the 1890s. He was the brother of William Tucker and Kinder Tucker
Kinder Houg ...
, ''Stephen Decatur: A Life Most Bold and Daring'', (Naval Institute Press, 2004)
* 2005 —
Craig Symonds
Craig Lee Symonds (born 31 December 1946, in Long Beach, California) is the Distinguished Visiting Ernest J. King Professor of Maritime History for the academic years 2017–2020 at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He is also ...
, ''Decision at Sea: Five Naval Battles that Shaped American History'', (Oxford University Press, 2005)
* 2006 —
Evan Thomas
Evan Welling Thomas III (born April 25, 1951) is an American journalist, historian, and author. He is the author of nine books, including two ''New York Times'' bestsellers.
Early life and career
Thomas was born in Huntington, New York, and r ...
, ''Sea of Thunder: Four Naval Commanders and the Last Sea War'' (2006)
* 2007 — William N. Still, Jr., ''Crisis at Sea: the United States Navy in European waters in World War I'', University Press of Florida, 2006.
* 2008 —
Jonathan Reed Winkler
Jonathan Reed Winkler (born 1975) is a historian and a professor of history at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches and researches on U.S. foreign relations, U.S. military and naval history, international history, security studie ...
, ''Nexus: Strategic Communications and American Security in World War I'', Harvard University Press, 2008.
* 2009 — Jeffrey G. Barlow, ''From Hot War to Cold: The U.S. Navy and National Security Affairs, 1945-1955'', Stanford University Press, 2009.
* 2010 -
Geoffrey Rossano Geoffrey Louis Rossano was an American author and historian with an emphasis on aviation, maritime and military history. He died after a long struggle with kidney failure on July 23, 2021. He lived in Salisbury, Connecticut, and was an instructor i ...
, ''Stalking The U-Boat: U.S. Naval Aviation In Europe During World War I'' University Press of Florida, 2010.
* 2011 - Elliot Carlson, ''Joe Rochefort's War: The Odyssey of the Codebreaker Who Outwitted Yamamoto at Midway'' U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2011.
See also
*
List of history awards
This list of history awards covers notable awards given to persons, a group of persons, or institutions, for their contribution to the study of history. It is organized by region. The entries name the prize and sponsoring organization, give notes ...