Board of Navy Commissioners

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The Board of Navy Commissioners was a United States Navy administrative body in existence from 1815 to 1842, with responsibility for the navy's material support. The three-member Board was created as part of an expansion of the U.S. Navy Department at the end of the War of 1812. The system was implemented by Benjamin W. Crowninshield, Secretary of the Navy during the administrations of Presidents James Madison and James Monroe.

Following the recommendations of William Jones, the establishment of the Board of Naval Commissioners by act of Congress on February 7, 1815 (3 Stat. 202), was the outgrowth of efforts to relieve the Secretary of the Navy of some of responsibilities connected with the civilian functions of the navy, so he could devote more time to overall administration.

As naval warfare continued to increase in technical complexity, however, reformers began to consider that the three commissioners and a minimal staff were not enough to handle the navy's procurement needs. By the 1840s, it seemed that a functional approach was preferable—one which established bureaus or offices within the Navy Department to focus on specific areas such as shipbuilding or provisioning. This reform was finally achieved during the administration of President John Tyler, and implemented by his Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur. An Act of Congress on August 31, 1842 abolished the Board of Naval Commissioners and established the "bureau system" in the Department of the Navy. This system, with modifications, lasted until the mid-1960s.