The position was created in 1917 to "provide a system of appointing qualified and professional chaplains that meet the needs of the Navy".[5][6] The nominee, as decided by the president of the United States, must be an active-duty officer of the Chaplain Corps above the rank of commander who has served in the Corps for at least eight years. The CHC serves for a 4-year term, but the president may terminate or extend the appointment at his pleasure.[4] By statute, the officeholder holds the two-star rank of rear admiral while serving as Chief.[4]
House Chaplain James Shera Montgomery and Speaker William Bankhead welcome Navy Chief of Chaplains Edward A. Duff, the first Navy chaplain in 117 years (since 1820) to open a House session as guest chaplain, March 25, 1937
Chaplains Trower, Stevenson, Koeneman, White, and Black at the dedication of the Chief of Chaplains Hallway
A hallway to honor former Chiefs of Navy Chaplain Corps was dedicated at the Navy Annex, in Arlington, Va., in 2004. Five former Chiefs of Chaplains were present at the dedication ceremony, including Barry C. Black, Alvin B. Koeneman, Neil M. Stevenson, Ross H. Trower, and David F. White.[10]
^Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) John Osborne (April 17, 2007). "Ceremony Establishes Naval Chaplains School". U.S. Navy. Naval Personnel Development Command Public Affairs. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Stevenson died November 21, 2009, in Williamsburg, Va. He was deputy chief of chaplains from 1980 to 1983. "Former Navy Chief of Chaplains Dies", Navy.mil (USN official website), 11/25/2009. By Capt. Greg Caiazzo, Chaplain Corps Public Affairs. Retrieved 2009-12-03.