NWC Certificte of Appreciation, 1972 Jun 17

The collection consists of five boxes; it is divided into six series. Biographical data forms Series I. His official Navy biography as well as his transcript of naval service can be found here. Series II contains official naval papers spanning the admiral's naval career from 1934 to 1972. Included in this series are fitness reports, naval orders, change of duty, retirement papers and recommendations for awards and citations. Series III contains correspondence, including both letters sent and received. Most of it consists of letters sent and received while president of the Naval War College, 1971-1972, although there is some personal correspondence. Speeches given at commissioning ceremonies and change of commands make up Series IV. Series V, Writings, contains article by Kit Semmes, the admiral's wife, on the Washington Navy Yard, their year in Bahrain in 1962 and reflections on her life as a Navy wife. Semmes' National War College thesis, 1958, is located here. Miscellany, Series VI, consists of certificates, newspaper clippings, programs, invitations, menus, imprints, books, naval and personal photographs and a genealogy entitled Semmes America. The manuscripts cover the years 1934-1985.

The Semmes papers are the only collection in existence pertaining to the admiral's career. They are an important addition to the College's collection of presidential papers. While the correspondence portion of the collection documents his Naval War College presidency, the naval papers portion encompasses his entire career.