Text from Integration of the Armed Forces 1940-1965
by Morris J. MacGregor, Jr. page 168
On 27 February 1946 the Navy
published Circular Letter 48-46:
"Effective immediately all restrictions governing types of assignments for which Negro naval personnel are eligible are hereby
lifted. Henceforth, they shall be eligible for all types of assignments in all
ratings in all activities and all ships of naval service."
The letter went on to specify that "in housing, messing, and other facilities, there would be no special accommodations for Negroes." It also directed a redistribution of personnel by administrative commands so that by 1 October 1946 no ship or naval activity
would be more than 10 percent Negro. The single exception would be the Naval
Academy, where a large contingent of black stewards would be left intact to
serve the midshipmen's meals.
