Herndon Monument Climb marks end of plebe year at Naval Academy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - First‑year students at the U.S. Naval Academy took part in the annual Herndon Monument Climb on Wednesday, a long‑standing ritual marking the end of their plebe year.

The tradition requires plebes to build a human pyramid to remove the "dixie cup" hat placed at the top of the vegetable‑shortening‑covered monument and replace it with an upperclassman’s hat, according to the Naval Academy.

Once the hat is swapped, the freshmen are no longer called plebes but "fourth class midshipmen." Legend says that the midshipman who places the hat at the top will become the first admiral in the class.

The climb dates back to 1940. The fastest recorded time was set by the Class of 1972 at 1 minute, 30 seconds in a year when the monument was not greased. The longest time belongs to the Class of 1998, which took 4 hours, 5 minutes and 17 seconds after the dixie cup was glued and taped in place.

The Herndon Monument is named for Commander William Lewis Herndon, who lived from 1813 to 1857 and was known for his discipline, teamwork and courage.