to preserve and promote a better understanding of professional naval heritage in midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the academy's Class of 1957 donated the funds to permanently endow this position. It is designed to be a visiting position for a distinguished senior academic historian, who is to hold the post for one or two years. The position was first occupied in 2006 and, in addition to teaching requirements, the occupant is expected to give the McMullen Seapower Lecture at the academy's biennial McMullen Naval History Symposium.
==== Chair holders ====
Williamson Murray, January 2006 – June 2007
Andrew Gordon, August 2007 – June 2009
Ronald H. Spector, August 2009 – June 2010
John H. Schroeder, August 2010 – June 2011
Craig Symonds, August 2011 – June 2012
James C. Bradford. August 2012 – June 2013
Gene Allen Smith, August 2013 – June 2014
William F. Trimble, August 2014 – June 2015
David Alan Rosenberg, August 2015 – June 2016
Nicholas A. Lambert, August 2016 – June 2018
Kathleen Broome Williams, August …
