The Navy League of the United States is a civilian run non-profit organization dedicated to the advocacy and support of our sea services – Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines. The overall guiding principal of the league is that strong sea services are vital to our national security. The Navy League has organizations in several other countries with over 40,000 members throughout the world.
The League was founded in 1902 at the suggestion and encouragement of then President Theodore Roosevelt, who prior to becoming our 26th President was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Roosevelt, who himself had taken a keen interest in the Navy at an early age actually donated his Nobel Peace Prize award money of $500 towards the cost of the League’s start up.
In March 1917, the Comforts Committee of the Navy League was formed. It began as a sewing party in the home of Mrs. James Carroll Frazer from Washington DC and resulted in producing countless sweaters, mufflers, jackets, wristlets, and other various garments for soldiers and sailors. In Cecil County, a similar division of the Navy League was formed. It was called the Cecil County Unit of the Navy League of the United States. These ladies of Cecil County knitted garments for the Maryland men at war and they collected donations and helped fund the war.
The Navy League and its subdivisions assisted in numerous ways during WWI. The “knit your bit” campaign, which spawned from “do your bit” was responsible for producing thousands of much needed garments to keep the soldiers warm during the war.