The Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History was formally established in 1956 and was the second oldest of the historical advisory committee's within the United States Department of Defense. It was inactive from 2009 to 2010 and formally disestablished with the Naval Advisory Panel.https://www.facadatabase.gov/FACA/apex/FACACommitteeLevelReportAsPDF?id=a10t0000001gzo8AAA
History Formally established as a committee of eleven civilians in 1956 as the Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Committee on Naval History, its direct and immediate antecedent was an ad hoc advisory committee that had met in 1952, 1954, and 1955. Its members were appointed by the Secretary of the Navy to review and advise on the current and future plans of both the Naval History and Heritage Command and the United States Marine Corps History Division of Marine Corps University. In 1996, the committee was made a subcommittee of the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee and reports directly to the Secretary of the Navy, and also to the Secretary of Defense through the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee.
Chairmen The following, listed in chronological order, have served as chairmen of the committee. In those cases where individuals have also served as individual members, their names and dates are also shown separately for that service in the alphabetical list of members:
Waldo G. Leland, 1955–1964 Elmer L. Kayser, 1970–1972 Walter Muir Whitehill, 1972- Richard W. Leopold William D. Wilkinson David Alan Rosenberg, 1995–2005 John Hattendorf, 2006–2008 Robert B. Pirie, Jr., 2009-
Members The following is an alphabetical list of committee members, who have served since 1952, with their dates of service as members. Committee chairs are listed above with their dates as chairmen:The following list is complete through 1975, based on Richard W. Leopold, "Historians and the Federal Government...". Thereafter, it is based only on the occasional published lists that have appeared in Naval Historical Center publications and on scattered publicly available annual reports of the Subcommittee.
Arthur D. Baker, III, 1985 John D. Barnhardt, 1955–1963 James Phinney Baxter III, 1952–1964 CAPT Edward L. Beach, Jr., USN (ret.), 1992 Whitfield J. Bell, jr, 1972–1980 Samuel Flagg Bemis, 1955–1964 David R. Bender, 1992 Francis L. Berkeley, Jr., 1966–1982 Julian P. Boyd, 1952–1966 Marion L. Brewington, 1966–1974 RADM Thomas A. Brooks, USN (ret.), 2003–2007 CDR Wesley A. Brown, CEC, USN (ret.), 1996–2002 Frank G. Burke, 1996–2002 J. Revell Carr, 1996 Charles C. Chadbourn, III, 2008- LTGEN G. Ronald Christmas, USMC (ret.), 2008- Edward E. Dale, 1952 John C. Dann, 1992 VADM Robert F. Dunn, 1996–2002 VADM George W. Emery, USN (ret.), 1997–2006 James T. Farrell, 1954 James A. Field, Jr., 1980–1985 RADM Mack C. Gaston, USN (ret.), -2007 RADM Russell W. Gorman, USN (ret.), 1992–1996 Jose-Marie Griffiths, 1996–2002 Joy Bright Hancock, 1976–1985 CAPT R. Robinson Harris, USN (ret.), 2002 Caryl P. Haskins, 1970–1982 John Hattendorf, 2004–2005 Robert Henry, 1954 Jim Dan Hill, 1954–1982 RADM William J. Holland, Jr., USN (ret.), 2008- Christine Hughes, 2004- Donald D. Jackson, 1972–1980 Beverely Schreiber Jacoby, 1996–2005 Richard L. Jautras, 1992 CAPT W. Spencer Johnson IV, USN (ret.), 2007- Richard L. Jutras, 1996 RADM John T. Kavanaugh, SC, USN (ret.), - 2007 Elmer L. Kayser, 1952–1976 John H. Kemble, 1961–1985 Tibor Kerekes, 1952 RADM John M. Kersch, USN (ret.), 2002–2005 VADM William P. Lawrence, USN (ret.), 1992 Susan Livingstone, - 2007 J. P. London, 2007- Burt Logan, 2003–2007 Leonard W. Labaree, 1966–1969 Waldo G. Leland, 1952–1964 Richard W. Leopold, 1955–1982 William E. Lingelbach, 1956–1960 Augustus P. Loring, 1982–1985 Dumas Malone, 1954 Jan E. Mandeville, 1985 Vera D. Mann, 1992–1996 AMB J. William Middendorf II, 1992–1996 VADM Gerald E. Miller, USN (ret.), 1992 Elting E. Morison, 1972–1976 Allan Nevins, 1956–1969 Michael A. Palmer, - 2007 Howard H. Peckham, 1972–1976 Norman Polmar, 2007 Forrest C. Pogue, 1970–1985 Fred H. Rainbow, 2007- ADM J. Paul Reason, USN (ret.), 2008- James R. Reckner, 2002- Clark G. Reynolds, 1992- David Alan Rosenberg, 1993–2005 MGEN Clifford L. Stanley, USMC (ret.), 2008- William Lloyd Stearman, 2004–2008 Daniel F. Stella, 1992 William N. Still, Jr., 1996–2005 Gordon B. Turner, 1972–1980 Betty Miller Unterberger, 1992–1996 Walter P. Webb, 1954 Walter Muir Whitehill, 1952–1972 William D. Wilkinson, 1996 Virginia Steele Wood, 2002 - 2007 CAPT Channing M. Zucker, USN (ret.), 2007 -
Charter CHARTER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY’S ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAVAL HISTORYSubcommittee report, 2008 A. Official Designation: The Subcommittee shall be known as the Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Subcommittee on Naval History (hereinafter referred to as the SNAS). B. Background, Objectives, and Scope of Activities: Formally established as a committee of eleven civilians in 1956 as the Secretary of the Navy's Advisory Committee on Naval History, this body had as its direct and immediate antecedent an ad hoc advisory committee that met in 1952, 1954, and 1955. In 1996, the committee was made a subcommittee of the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee. The current SNAS reports to the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee through the Secretary of the Navy. The SNAS, under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 (5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended), shall provide independent advice and recommendations on matters pertaining to preserving the heritage and legacy of the Naval Service and disseminating its rich history to the Service and the American public, to include professional standards, methodology, program priorities, and cooperative relationships in the Marine Corps and Navy's historical research and publication, museum, archival, archeological, library, manuscript collection, rare book collection, art collection, preservation, and curatorial activities. The Secretary of the Navy may act upon the SNAS's advice and recommendations.
C. Committee Membership: The SNAS shall be composed of not more than fifteen members, who are appointed by the Secretary of the Navy on the advice of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations & Environment). The SNAS shall submit nominations to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations & Environment). The Director of Naval History and the President of the Marine Corps University shall make their recommendations for membership to the SNAS, as a nominating committee. Nominees will include individuals who have broad managerial experience, vision, and understanding in one or more of the following areas: military and maritime history, archives, museology, art, library science, information technology. Members may also include former senior civilian Department of the Navy officials and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Members appointed by the Secretary of the Navy, who are not Federal officers or employees, shall serve as Special Government Employees under the authority of 5 U.S.C. § 3109, and shall be appointed for a term of four years with the possibility of a one- to two-year extension. With the exception of travel and per diem for official travel, Subcommittee Members shall serve without compensation. The SNAS shall elect its own chair and vice-chair from its appointed members.
D. Committee Meetings: The SNAS shall meet at the call of the Alternate Designated Federal Officer, in consultation with the chairperson. The estimated number of SNAS meetings is one per year. The Alternate Designated Federal Officer shall be a full-time or permanent part-time DoD employee, and shall be appointed in accordance with established DoD policies and procedures. The Designated Federal Officer and/or Alternate Designated Federal Officer shall attend all SNAS meetings.
E. Duration of the Subcommittee: The need for this advisory function is on a continuing basis; however, it is subject to renewal every two years. F. Agency Support: The Department of the Navy, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations & Environment) shall provide support as deemed necessary for the performance of the committee's functions, and shall ensure compliance with the requirements of 5 U.S.C., Appendix, as amended. G. Termination Date: The Subcommittee shall terminate upon completion of its mission or two years from the date this Charter is filed, whichever is sooner, unless it is extended by the Secretary of the Navy or the Department of Defense Historical Advisory Committee.
H. Operating Costs: The operating costs will include travel costs and contract support for the SNAS. The estimated annual personnel support costs to the Department of Defense are 0.3 full-time equivalents (FTEs). I. Recordkeeping: The records of the SNAS shall be handled according to section 2, General Records Schedule 26 and appropriate DoD policies and procedures. These records shall be available for public inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (5 U.S.C. § 552, as amended).
J. Charter/Revisions Approval Process: Subcommittees of the DoD Historical Advisory Committee are authorized to approve their own charters but they cannot operate independently of the DoD Historical Advisory Committee. Regardless of the charter, SNAS remains a subcommittee of the parent committee. This Subcommittee Charter was initially approved unanimously by all SNAS members present at the SNAS executive session that took place on 12 September 2008. Revisions may be made with the concurrence of a vote of two-thirds of the appointed members and will be forwarded for information by the SNAS to the DoD Historical Advisory Committee when such revisions are made.
K. Charter Filed: 12 September 2008.
Sources Richard W. Leopold, "Historians and the Federal Government: Historical Advisory Committees: State, Defense, and the Atomic Energy Commission," The Pacific Historical Review, vol. 44, No. 3. (Aug 1975), pp. 373–385.