United States Coast Guard Academy

Scientia Cedit Mari - The Sea Yields to Knowledge

Academy History

1876 - School of Instruction

The Revenue Cutter School of Instruction is established aboard the schooner Dobbin in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Nine cadets begin training.

1877 - First Graduation

The school moves to the bark Chase. The first class of nine cadets graduates in 1879.

1910 - Fort Trumbull

The school moves ashore to Fort Trumbull in New London, Connecticut, providing permanent facilities for the first time.

1915 - Coast Guard Academy

When the Revenue Cutter Service merges with the Life-Saving Service to form the Coast Guard, the school becomes the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

1932 - Current Location

The Academy moves to its present 103-acre campus on the Thames River, with new facilities designed specifically for cadet training.

1946 - USCGC Eagle

The barque Eagle, taken from Germany as a war prize, arrives at the Academy and begins service as a training ship.

1976 - Women Admitted

The Academy admits women for the first time, along with the other service academies. The first female cadets graduate in 1980.

Today

The Academy continues its mission of developing leaders of character, training approximately 1,000 cadets annually.

Official References