Lennon: Tell me a little about your background--where you came from, your early education, and what led you to the Naval Academy. I was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, in , and grew up in the city of Providence. I wanted to go to college to become an engineer.
I was particularly interested in going to M. The Depression, however, was a problem. My father had a job during the Depression, but it was only part-time. The employees at his place of work went on part-time so that no one would have to be fired. I am the oldest of six children and I became interested in the Naval Academy due to one of my younger brothers.
My second brother, Mike, was interested in the Naval Academy, and he would go to the library and bring back books on it. When I was a junior in high school I happened to see an item in the newspaper stating that a certain senator was. I wrote a letter saying I'd like to take the exams.
My father was real unhappy with me, because he didn't want any son of his going in the military. I took the exams while I was still a junior in high school. Despite not having had any physics courses, I did come out about halfway down the list.
There were about twenty-four people that took the exams; so I was encouraged. As I recall, there were six subjects: Math, English, U. History, Ancient History, Physics, and Chemistry. That started me on the track of trying to get an appointment. I took the exams the next year and did pretty well; I came out number two on one of the lists. I was a senior in high school then.
