How Long Does it Take to Change a Culture? Integration at the U.S. Naval Academy

Abstract

Just as the armed forces are a microcosm of American society, so the Naval Academy is a microcosm of military society. By examining the U.S. Naval Academy, a small, well-defined, but important part of the armed forces, we can see how social change comes about in the military and how long it takes. Although integration of the military was begun by President Roosevelt over half a century ago, I suggest that it may be another decade before we can realistically expect a black Chief of Naval Operations or Naval Academy superintendent. I propose four stages in integration at the Naval Academy: a stonewall of senior leadership; leveling the playing field for a generation from the bottom up; gaining representative share by direction; and percolation for yet another generation. While social changes in the armed forces can be ordered, they require several generations to complete.