Naval Academy's first African-American graduate remembered at ceremony - baltimoresun.com

Naval Academy's first African-American graduate remembered at ceremony - baltimoresun.com: When Lt. Cmdr. Wesley A. Brown was a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy, he was ostracized, his classmates once trashing his room ahead of an inspection. But the Navy embraced him as a trailblazer in Wednesday funeral services, part of which were held in a field house that bears his name.

More than 250 gathered in Annapolis to remember Brown, the sixth black midshipman and the first to graduate. Mourners included top Navy and military officials, the first black female graduate of the academy and the oldest living black graduate of any U.S. military service academy.

"For many, this could be a somber day; I think it's an opportunity to reflect on a great man," said Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations. "He showed us that one person can make a difference."

Brown, a Baltimore native, died of cancer May 22 at age 85.