George Bancroft Davis

Bancroft, George (1800–1891), historian, secretary of the navy, diplomat.Appointed James K. Polk's first secretary of the U.S. Navy in March 1845, Bancroft initiated a number of important reforms of the naval service during his seventeen months in office. The most important of these was the establishment of a permanent naval academy for the education and training of young officers. In a feat of administrative legerdemain, Bancroft found funds, teachers, and a site for a school without resort to Congress. It opened 10 October 1845 with lawmakers agreeing to fund the new academy the following year. Bancroft took other steps to rehabilitate an officer corps grown moribund in the decades following the War of 1812. He argued for promotions based on merit rather than seniority; he sought legislation for removing old and unfit officers from the ranks; and he ordered candidates for certain officers' grades to demonstrate their fitness for appointment by passing examinations. Though not all of Bancroft's attempts at reform met with success, his efforts laid the foundation for a better‐trained, more professional officer corps. Bancroft also provided vigorous and able direction of the navy's initial efforts during the Mexican War. On his orders, navy squadrons blockaded Mexico, occupied several Pacific Coast towns, and provided valuable assistance to American land forces. In September 1846, Bancroft left the secretaryship to become minister to Great Britain. The George Bancroft papers, 1811-1901 are archived in the Cornell University Library.