Naval History & Heritage Command

Naval History & Heritage Command logo

Naval History & Heritage Command

The Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC) is at the historic Washington Navy Yard. It is an Echelon II command responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. The NHHC is composed of 42 facilities in 13 geographic locations. This includes the Navy Department Library, ten museums and one heritage center, USS Constitution repair facility and detachment, and Historic ship NAUTILUS.

Mission

• Collect, preserve, protect and make available the artifacts, documents, and art that best embody our naval history and heritage for present and future generations.
• Advance the knowledge of naval history and heritage through professional research, analysis, interpretation, products and services.
• Make naval history and heritage "come alive" for our Sailors and Marines to enhance readiness and esprit de corps.
• Remind America of its need to maintain a strong Navy and Marine Corps to protect its citizens, their freedoms and the nation's maritime commerce.

Vision statement

Be the recognized authority on U.S. naval history and instill pride in America's naval heritage.

Director

The position of Director of Naval History was first established in 1944.

• Admiral Edward C. Kalbfus, USN, July 1944 – December 1945
• Vice Admiral Vincent R. Murphy, USN (ret.), December 1945 – June 1946
• Rear Admiral John B. Heffernan, USN (ret.), July 1946 – October 1956
• Rear Admiral Ernest M. Eller, USN (ret.), October 1956 – January 1970
• Rear Admiral F. Kent Loomis, USN (ret.), 24 January 1970 – 31 July 1970
• Vice Admiral Edwin B. Hooper, USN (ret.), August 1970 – July 1976
• Rear Admiral John D. H. Kane, USN (ret.), August 1976 – December 1985
• Dr. Ronald H. Spector, 21 July 1986 – 19 July 1989
• Dr. Dean C. Allard, 29 July 1989 – 31 January 1995
• Dr. William S. Dudley, 23 July 1995 – 30 September 2005
• Rear Admiral Paul E. Tobin, Jr., USN (ret.), 25 July 2005 – January 2008
• Rear Admiral Jay A. DeLoach, USN (ret.), 23 June 2008 – 14 May 2012
• Captain Henry J. Hendrix, USN, 14 May 2012 - present

Collections

An artifact conservator at the Naval History and Heritage Command inspects a piece of pottery recovered from the wreck of the sloop-of-war USS Scorpion.

• The Command starts and maintains records, manuscripts, books, photographs, artifacts, and artwork that document the Navy’s history. Extensive collections at the Command’s headquarters on the Washington Navy Yard include:
• Archives—Millions of official operational records, historical documents, personal papers, officer biographies, oral histories, and manuscripts related to naval operations, policy, and strategy, including ships’ deck logs dating back thirty years and annual command operations reports of active U.S. Navy ships, aviation units, and shore commands
• Historical Artifacts—More than 200,000 artifacts, such as shipboard equipment, anchors, bells, uniforms, flags, and weapons from some of the Navy’s most famous fighting ships and personnel
• Archaeological Artifacts-Over 9,000 artifacts recovered and documented from sunken military craft such as personal affects, ordnance, ship's rigging and hull elements, and ceramic vessels
• Photos—More than 500,000 historic still photos in a dedicated photo collection, with thousands more in the records collections housed in the Command’s archives
• Art—More than 18,000 paintings, prints, drawings, and sculptures
• Library—More than 150,000 books and 80,000 manuscripts related to naval, maritime, and military history in the official Navy Department Library

Similar collections that document the Navy’s history in specialized areas of interest are located at the eleven official U.S. Navy museums nationwide.

Navy museums

There are fifteen official Navy museums. They are designed to educate a national audience about the history, customs, and traditions of the U.S. Navy. These museums are dedicated to community outreach and offer curriculum-based education programs, docent-led tours, special evening programs, summer activities, lectures, and musical performances that are open to the public and free of charge. For more information on the following Navy museums, visit the NHHC website:

• U.S. Navy Museum – Washington, DC
• U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum – Groton, CT
• Naval War College Museum – Newport, RI
• Hampton Roads Naval Museum – Norfolk, VA
• U.S. Naval Academy Museum – Annapolis, MD
• Patuxent River Naval Air Museum – Lexington Park, MD
• National Museum of Naval Aviation – Pensacola, FL
• Great Lakes Naval Museum – Great Lakes, IL
• Naval Museum of Armament & Technology – Ridgecrest, CA
• U.S. Navy Seabee Museum – Port Hueneme, CA
• Navy Museum Northwest – Keyport, WA / Bremerton, WA

Related pages

• United States Army Center of Military History

Other websites

• Official website
• Naval Historical Foundation
• National Museum of the U.S. Navy Archived 2009-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
• Hampton Roads Naval Museum Archived 2015-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
• Great Lakes Naval Museum Archived 2008-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
• National Naval Aviation Museum
• Naval Museum of Armament and Technology Archived 2009-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
• Naval Undersea Museum
• Naval War College Museum Archived 2009-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
• Puget Sound Navy Museum
• Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Archived 2011-06-24 at the Wayback Machine
• U.S. Navy Seabee Museum Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Submarine Force Library & Museum
• U.S. Naval Academy Museum Archived 2009-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
• U.S. Navy Supply Corps Museum
• Navy Art Collection Archived 2009-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
• USS Constitution "Old Ironsides"Archived 2012-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
• Underwater Archaeology Branch Archived 2010-04-07 at the Wayback Machine