U.S. Naval Academy Honors Its First Black Graduate

The Wesley A. Brown Field House was recently opened on the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The new $5 million, 140,000-square-foot facility will serve as the home of the indoor track and field team. The field house will also serve as an indoor practice facility for Navy’s football team.

In 1949 Brown was the first African American to graduate from the academy. He entered the Navy’s civil engineering corps, retiring in 1969 with the rank of lieutenant commander. Brown, now 81 years old, attended the opening ceremonies for the new field house.