Tamanend (sculpture)

Tamanend, Chief of Delaware Indians
Tamanend
Artist	William Luke (1790-1839)
Year	1817
Type	sculpture
Medium	wood, then bronze
Subject	Figurehead of the USS Delaware
Dimensions	2.4 m × 1.5 m × 1.2 m (96 in × 59 in × 46 in)
Location	United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
Coordinates	38°58′56″N 76°29′02″W
Owner	United States Naval Academy
Accession	June 1930

Tamanend was honored as the figurehead of USS Delaware in a carving by William Luke. Tamanend the “affable” (c. 1628–1698) was a chief of one of the clans that made up the Lenni-Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley. He is best known as a lover of peace and friendship who played a prominent role in the establishment of peaceful relations among the Native American tribes and the English settlers who established Pennsylvania, led by William Penn.

The USS Delaware was burned in 1861 at the Gosport Navy Yard to prevent Confederate capture at the start of the Civil War. In 1866, the salvaged figurehead was transferred to the United States Naval Academy and placed on a pedestal facing Bancroft Hall, the Naval Academy's dormitory that is said to be the largest dormitory in the United States, and is flanked by Stribling Walk on both sides.

Tamanend Figurehead Statue at USNA

Front view of the original wooden figurehead of Tamanend, 1929

For 40 years, the wooden figurehead kept its vigil in the Yard until the weather began to take its toll. In 1906 repairs using cement, putty, and paint temporarily removed the signs of age. When the ravages of the elements again threatened, the Class of 1891 had the statue cast in bronze and presented it to the Brigade of Midshipmen and Naval Academy. The task of restoration was accomplished at the U.S. Naval Gun Factory.

Description

The statue of Tamanend at the US Naval Academy facing Bancroft Hall

The statue is positioned on a base of Vermont marble and measures 96 by 59 by 46 inches (2.4 m × 1.5 m × 1.2 m). The area between the figurehead and Bancroft Hall is called T-Court. In 1930, the wooden "heart" and "brains" of the original statue were transferred to the bronze statue.

Inscriptions

On the front base of the statue:

FIGUREHEAD
OF THE
USS
DELAWARE
1817
BRONZE REPLICA
GIFT OF THE
CLASS OF 1891

On the statue's bronze base, to the rear:

U.S. Naval Gun Factory
Navy Yard Washington, D.C.
1929

Traditions

President Harry S. Truman joining Midshipmen in tossing pennies to Tamanend during a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946

Tamanend is sometimes referred to as the "God of 2.0," the passing grade point average at the Academy. Midshipmen toss pennies at the quiver on Tamanend's back for good luck during their exam periods and Army-Navy competitions.

9th company's Team Tamenend, currently commanded by MIDN 1/C Ward, is responsible for spirit boards to be painted and displayed around Tamanend's base before major events and home games (e.g. for Parents' Weekend in August, Homecoming in the fall, before Army-Navy contests, and for Commissioning Week in May).

Statue Name

In the 1800s the statue was given several names by the Midshipment before "Tecumseh" received general acceptance. It was widely referred to by this nickname for a century and a half, with the "Reef Points" plebe handbook referring to it as Tecumseh with a note that the figurehead is really of Delamare chief Tamanend. The confusion was accepted and part of the Academy tradition. In recent years efforts have been made to shift its name to the more-accurate, but confusing to alumni, name "Tamanend."