HISTORY OF NAVY OGC
The Honorable James Forrestal, then Under Secretary of the Navy, founded OGC on
September 10, 1941. Under Secretary Forrestal took his action on the
recommendation of H. Struve Hensel, who subsequently became the first General
Counsel of the Navy. The rapid increase in the volume and complexity of ships
and aircraft being purchased at the beginning of World War II generated a
similar increase in the number and complexity of legal issues. The need for a
law office to deal with these business and commercial law problems became
evident and the Office of the General Counsel was founded to respond to this
need.
On December 13, 1942, Under Secretary Forrestal decentralized Navy contracting
and authorized it to be performed by the various Navy Bureaus most familiar with
Navy requirements, individual contractors, and the procurement process. Since
then, Navy contracts have been awarded by Navy Commands and offices throughout
the world, with advice from counsel assigned to them by the General Counsel.
This decentralization of contracting authority is reflected in a parallel
administrative decentralization of the
Office of the General Counsel.
Over the ensuing years, the nature of OGC's legal practice has expanded in
keeping with major legal developments nationally. For example, during the 1970s
and 1980s, civilian personnel law became increasingly important, as did
environmental law.
The cohesiveness of the attorneys who have served in OGC over the years is
reflected in the number of OGC alumni who attend functions associated with OGC
conferences held each year in May as well as a social events.