NEW LONDON, CT — The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s 150th anniversary, marking the milestone Wednesday with a dedication ceremony in New London as the academy continues training officers for military and maritime operations.
The ceremony at Custom House Pier on Saturday included USPS Customer Experience Vice President Marc McCrery, academy Superintendent Rear Adm. Gregory C. Rothrock and Capt. Kristopher Ensley, commanding officer of the USCGC Eagle training vessel.
The stamp features photographs of the Eagle, the academy’s primary training vessel since 1946, and the USCGC Bertholf, a Legend-class national security cutter used for missions including maritime drug interdiction and border security.
Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, designed the stamp. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Thieme photographed the Eagle, while Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Strohmaier took the Bertholf image.
“Eagle is more than just a beautiful ship; it is a vital floating classroom where cadets forge the leadership and seamanship skills required to lead in today’s Coast Guard,” Ensley stated.
Congress authorized what became the Coast Guard Academy on July 31, 1876. Originally known as the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction, the institution began without a traditional campus.
Its first class started training aboard the topsail schooner James C. Dobbin in May 1877, when nine cadets joined officers and crew for an extended training mission focused on navigation and sailing.
The three-masted cutter Salmon P. Chase replaced the Dobbin the following year and served as the school’s primary training vessel for nearly three decades.
The institution moved ashore to Curtis Bay, Maryland, in 1900 and relocated to Fort Trumbull outside New London in 1910. It became the U.S. Coast Guard Academy after the Revenue Cutter Service and Life Saving Service merged to form the Coast Guard in 1915.
The academy moved to its current campus two miles upriver in 1932. The campus has since expanded to more than 30 buildings across 103 acres, and the academy began admitting women in 1976.
About 1,070 cadets attend the academy today. Students can select from 10 majors, including government, marine and environmental sciences, cyber systems and several engineering disciplines.
Cadets also receive practical seamanship training aboard the Eagle, including cruises that can extend for weeks and cross oceans.
Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree and commissions as Coast Guard ensigns in exchange for commitments of at least five years of service. They can move into missions including national defense, maritime transportation security, port and waterway protection, drug interdiction and maritime border security.
“U.S. postage stamps celebrate the very best of America, and we are proud to feature the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on millions of letters that will be sent across the country,” McCrery stated.
The Coast Guard Academy stamps are issued in panes of 20. As Forever stamps, they remain valid for the prevailing First-Class Mail 1-ounce rate.
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