1937–38 Volume 62 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

The Navy as a Career
By WAT T. CLUVERIUS, Tulane '95, Rear Admiral, U.S.N.
THE American youth who desires to
become a naval officer must himself
decide that this is the career he seeks.
If the contemplated step in the suggestion
of parents—or anyone else—he should
certainly be dissuaded from taking it. A
career of life-long interest awaits the
young man who enthusiastically espouses
the naval profession. Otherwise he cannot
be happy, he will not be successful. The
life is an irregular one; it does not provide
the ordinary recompenses of civil
life. The naval officer never has a real
home, and certainly he cannot be rich.
Naturally, I am interested in the lad
who does want to join the Navy, for
I am convinced that he thus becomes a
member of what today is a very special
class of citizenry—a good citizen and one
who will have the opportunity to serve
his country in a useful and dignified
direction; a profession that is proud of
its service and cherishes its traditions.
In order, then, to prepare himself, a
lad must first be sure that he understands
the basis of our form of government and
the responsibility of the individual citizen
entailed therein. He should be taught
the needs of practical government and
the share that is to be his in meeting
them; he must learn that it is his duty
to preserve the rights and privileges that
are his as an American citizen, when
these are placed in jeopardy.
This is a big job for one of high school
age, but his thoughts ought to be directed
early into these channels. If he is to
become an officer charged with important
and varied responsibilities by his government,
he has to be an intelligent citizen.
In fact, he cannot be a good man-ofwar's
man unless he is a good citizen.
The technical demands of naval
science, to which he is to commit his
whole endeavor, are not only exacdng
but the field is constantly increasing.
[9]
The authorized age of entrance to the
United States Naval Academy ranges
from sixteen to twenty years, the average
age of entrance being somewhat less than
eighteen. Before his heart becomes set
ADMIRAL CLUVERIUS ? (/ ^ / *
At present he is the commandant of the
Philadelphia Navy Yard
on the Navy, a lad should have that
heart carefully examined. A sound body
is a basic requirement and there is available
to him a searching physical examination
at any Naval Recruiting Station
in the United States.
Successful in this direction, let him
look into his scholastic equipment, for
a sound mind is essential in that sound
body. The entrance mental examinations
are equally searching and demand a practical
and comprehensive foundation in
academic subjects. The Naval Academy
is preeminently a vocational school with
the sole mission of producing naval officers.
These must be thoroughly versed