Image Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia Navy Yard Symposium
Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 9:30 AM – 2:45 PM
Battleship New Jersey Fantail, Camden, NJ
Co-sponsored by the Naval Dockyard Society
For nearly 200 years, the Philadelphia Navy Yard built, repaired, and reinvented the ships that carried the U.S. Navy through war and peace. In 2026, we’re marking three milestones tied to its history: 225 years since the yard opened in Southwark, 150 years since the move to League Island, and 30 years since its 1996 closing.
Join us on the fantail of Battleship New Jersey for a full day of presentations from historians, former shipyard employees, and Navy veterans exploring the people, ships, and decisions that shaped the Yard’s legacy. Lunch from Mission BBQ is included with your ticket.
Optional walking tours of the Philadelphia Navy Yard are also available on Sunday, September 27, starting at 1:00 PM. These outdoor tours run approximately 90 minutes and are led by members of Battleship New Jersey’s curatorial staff. Tours are weather permitting, and guests are advised to wear comfortable shoes. Walking tours start at the Navy Yard at Broad St. between Kitty Hawk Avenue and Flagship Drive.
Speakers
Moyra Eaton, “Joshua Humphreys and the Local Politics of Establishing the Philadelphia Navy Yard”
Margherita M. Desy, “USS Constitution and the Philadelphia Navy Yard: From the Founding of the U.S. Navy to the Sesqui-Centennial in 1926”
Ryan Szimanski, “Battleship New Jersey and the Philadelphia Navy Yard”
Alex Pockington, historian, Drachinifel
Thomas Heinrich, Professor of History, Baruch College – CUNY
Gary Kim, “Current State and Future of U.S. Naval Shipbuilding”
Dan Shortridge, “Leadership Lessons in Times of Transition from Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Commander”
Anna Gibson Holloway, “‘The Songs of the Boys’: Albert N. Hoxie and the Musical Mobilization of League Island in World War I”
Joseph-James Ahern, “Employees of the Philadelphia Navy Yard”