About Wargaming

William McCarty Little (1846-1915) served the Naval War College for thirty years and made a lasting contribution. As a lieutenant who lost the sight of one eye, he had been forced to leave the active service. He offered his unpaid services as a volunteer staff member to Admiral Luce in the first year of operation and established the College’s first small library. He introduced war gaming to the College in 1886 and went on to become the College’s and the U.S. Navy’s first expert in naval wargaming. In 1903, Congress recognized his unparalleled contributions to the Naval War College by a special act that promoted him from lieutenant to captain and permanently assigned him to the faculty of the Naval War College. He remained on the faculty continuing to develop naval wargaming until he retired in January 1915. McCarty Little Hall was named in his honor in 1999.

Check out these links to view some of his writings:

Since William McCarty Little’s retirement, the War Gaming Department at the Naval War College has had 103 directors or chairmen. Until 1960, wargaming at the Naval War College was separated into tactics, strategy, and education; each led by a separate director. It wasn’t until 1960 that the name “War Gaming Department” was used, forming its own department and establishing the chairman position. The Wargaming Chairman provides overall leadership and management for all aspects of wargaming operations including internal and external generated requests, curriculum support, long-range departmental goals, and faculty recruitment and development. The chairman maintains close relationships and partnerships with peers and senior leadership in support of the Naval War College mission, educating future leaders and helping to define the future Navy.

The spirit of LT McCarty Little is embodied in our faculty of prominent scholars and leading practitioners from around the world. Their commitment to exceptional teaching and innovative research brings intellectual rigor as well as practical experience into our classrooms and game rooms at the Naval War College. Approximately 40 civilian and military faculty members serve as the core team of gaming professionals. Our faculty is supported by a unique, highly-skilled team of gaming technicians and enlisted Navy personnel. In addition to tackling tough, complex problems for various sponsors through wargaming, faculty provide an educational value to students through the teaching of war gaming theory and practice, as well as executing operational level student games.