The Apprentice School

The Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, founded in 1886, quickly became one of the nation's foremost builders of military and commercial ships. An informal apprenticeship program for the training of employees was in place by the 1890s. On 1 July 1919, company president Homer L. Ferguson signed Executive Order 24 formally establishing The Apprentice School. The shipyard paid its apprentices to attend academic classes and to receive training in shipbuilding trades, with a focus on craftsmanship, scholarship, and leadership. More than 10,000 students have graduated from the program. This is the fifth building to house The Apprentice School.

Department of Historic Resources, 2019