In January 1944, a group of enlisted black men gathered at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois to train as the Navy’s first African American officers on active duty. On receiving their commission, these pioneers came to be known as the Golden Thirteen. Paul Stillwell, former director of the Naval Institute’s History division, will discuss the experiences of these officers as well as the life the U.S. Navy’s first black admiral, Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. A book signing will follow the program.

Please visit the National Archives website for more information.