Naval War College (U.S.)

The personal papers of Rear Admiral Richard W. Bates (1892-1973) cover the years 1915-1973. He was a commanding officer on many ships in the Navy. His collection consists of correspondence, subject files, writings, speeches, and miscellaneous items. The papers are arranged in four series based on an established file system. They mainly encompass Bates career as a Naval Officer, family, and social life in Newport, as well as other aspects of his career including published and unpublished writings, notes, photographs, slide presentations, and reports.

This collection consists of single manuscripts items from past NWC presidents, faculty, and staff, as well as other other naval officers and military service members from Rhode Island and the surrounding area. These items include correspondence, journals, reports, certificates, commissions, scrapbooks, and other ephemera that relate to the history of the U.S. Naval War College, the history of navies in the Narragansett Bay region, and the history of naval warfare and strategy.