The Naval War College is often called the “Home of Thought” for the U.S. Navy. For 141 years, it has trained senior U.S. military officers to function at the highest levels of command. Many of the Navy’s most prominent admirals, including Chester Nimitz, Ernest J. King, and Raymond Spruance, credited their studies at the Naval War College with helping them think through the complex problems they faced during World War II. Key to their training was constant participation in wargames, a teaching tool still in use at the college today. We will explore what makes it unique among military education institutions and how it has evolved from a small, neglected school to a flagship of the Professional Military Education system.

Rob Doane is a public historian and museum professional who has worked in maritime museums since 2005. He earned a BA in history from the University of Michigan and a MA in public history from Loyola University Chicago. After beginning his career as a historical interpreter at the USS Constitution Museum, Mr. Doane joined the curatorial staff of the Norman Rockwell Museum in 2008. From 2010-2012, he served as the Curator of the Beverley R. Robinson Print Collection at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum where he oversaw the preservation and interpretation of approximately 5,000 historic prints depicting European and American naval history. He has presented papers to the Society for Military History, the McMullen Naval History Symposium, and the Maritime Heritage Conference. He is currently the Curator of the Naval War College Museum in Newport, RI, where he oversees the museum’s collecting and exhibition programs.