The Academy and Women's Suffrage in 1912
On the evening of February 15, 1912, three one-act plays were performed at the Colonial Theatre in Annapolis to bring attention to women's suffrage, eight years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The performers were the wives, daughters and nieces of Naval Academy professors and officers. The male roles were performed by Navy Lieutenants on duty at the Academy. In this episode, context is provided to that event and midshipmen perform the opening play, a farce to set the scene for two more serious plays.
The play, "A Close Call," is read through by midshipmen volunteers at the Museum known as the "Monuments Mids." They provide countless support to the preservation and education mission of the Naval Academy Museum.
