The MIT Nautical Association was founded in 1936, one of the first college sailing associations in the country. Founded as a recreational sailing program for the student body, the Association began with 48 dinghies designed by MIT professor George Owen. Instantly popular among students, the Association also spearheaded the development of an intercollegiate racing program. Over the years, the Nautical Association has added more types of racing dinghies, a windsurfing program, and a bluewater sailing program on larger yachts capable of sailing the New England coast. The MIT Nautical Association is still active today, a top competitor in collegiate racing and a classroom for hundreds of students who learn to sail annually.

This collection contains records of the MIT Nautical Association from its beginning in 1936 to the early twenty-first century. These include minutes, financial, and event records from the Association’s meetings; logs of events held; and nearly complete membership registers listing every person involved with the Nautical Association from 1936 forward. There is information on the acquisition of Tech Dinghies and other small racing craft, as well as two log-books from the sailing yacht Aleida, which MIT students sailed from Boston to Maine. The collection also contains a substantial quantity of video film and slides, including chronicles of the Association’s history, sail training material produced for teaching, and videos about collegiate and international sailing which were of interest to Association members.

Title: MIT Nautical Association Records

Creator: MIT Nautical Association

Dates: 1936-2005

Extent: 3 linear feet

Language: English

Repository: MIT Museum, Hart Nautical Collection

Access: Open for research by appointment; index available

Copyright: Some materials may have copyright restrictions.

Credit: Hart Nautical Collection, MIT Museum