Origins of the Base: During the 1898 Spanish-American War, the Navy recognized that over half of the American sailors in that war had come from the Midwest. Congressman Foss of Illinois suggested that in the future, it might be advisable to train recruits from a Midwest facility. The Naval Appropriation Act of July 1, 1902 included a recommendation to Congress of a suitable site for a 1,500 capacity Naval Training Station to be located on the Great Lakes. Lake Bluff, Illinois with its excellent rail connections, harbor possibilities, picturesque setting, and southern lake location was the favored site. With the gift of the land to the Government by local citizens through private fund-raising, President Theodore Roosevelt announced that he had approved the board’s report and authorized establishment of the station at Lake Bluff on November 24, 1904. Naval Training Station Great Lakes officially opened its doors on July 1, 1911.

Construction: Navy Captain Albert Ross, USN, was chosen to be the first Commandant of the Naval Station, and Civil Engineer Corps Captain George A. McKay, USN, was appointed as engineer for the original construction of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. 1905 to 1911 were spent designing and building the station at Great Lakes. Jarvis Hunt, a prominent Chicago architect, was commissioned for the project. The natural contours of the site were used to divide the station into four areas: the Main Training Camp, Receiving Camp, Naval Hospital, and Marine Barracks/Guard House. Great Lakes Naval Training Station was officially dedicated on October 28, 1911, with President William Howard Taft and Secretary of the Navy George Von L. Meyer in attendance for the graduation of the first company of recruits.

Original Architectural Design: Unlike many military complexes where troops occupied the site before construction, the Great Lakes project was designed and built before training operations began. The architect, Jarvis Hunt of Chicago, varied the design of individual buildings based on function and size. A common bond throughout the Italian Renaissance design was achieved by using terra cotta ornamentation, arches and vaults to unite the buildings into one common theme.

The First Recruit: Joseph Gregg of Terre Haute, Indiana, enlisted in the United States Navy on July 3, 1911, and arrived at Great Lakes on July 5. He was the very first recruit to enter the Naval Training Station. One month later, the Navy officially opened its gates. Gregg was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1915 and returned to Indiana. In 1952, while living in Florida, he was located by the Navy and invited back to Great Lakes. During that visit, he was formally honored at a recruit graduation as the first man to enlist in the United States Navy at Great Lakes. He is buried in the Great Lakes Cemetery.

World War I: On April 6, 1917, less than six years after Great Lakes was opened, the U.S. declared war on the Central Powers. By August, the number of trainees grew from 618 to 50,000. Vast tent cities sprang up to house the flood of volunteers. Captain Moffett, Commanding Officer of Great Lakes at this time, organized the huge influx into “Regiments.” Each Regiment of 1,726 men was a self-contained unit incorporating its own administration building, galley, mess halls, dispensary, barracks, and training facilities. During the war, Great Lakes became the largest training station in the U.S., graduating 126,000 men, over 25% of the U.S. Navy total. During this time, football and the marching band at Great Lakes received national prominence. The 1919 football team won the Rose Bowl led in part by George Halas (later “Papa Bear” of the Chicago Bears) and the renowned marching band conducted by John Philip Sousa, the “March King” performed across the world.

Between the Wars: After the signing of the Armistice, the United States entered a period of uncertainty followed by an economic recession in 1920 and 1921. A cutback program at Great Lakes began. Most temporary buildings were torn down, rented lands relinquished, and most training was discontinued. In 1922, a spirited local campaign was organized by the Union League Club demanding Congress restore the Station to at least its pre-war status. The petition was successful and a period of minor growth followed. However, in 1933, in the depth of the Great Depression, Great Lakes Naval Training Station closed its doors, being reduced to a maintenance status. Once again, the local community rallied with a vigorous campaign, and on July 1, 1935 the Station was reopened.

World War II: In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland and war began in Europe. By 1940, Congress authorized $4 million for an expansion of Great Lakes. Captain John Downes was named Commanding Officer of Great Lakes and placed in charge of the expansion. Temporary buildings were built, including drill halls, barracks, classrooms, and galleys. When war was declared in 1941, Congress approved another $30 million to further increase the size of Great Lakes.
In June 1942, Great Lakes opened the first African-American training facility in the Navy, Camp Robert Smalls. Before the end of the war, 100,000 African-Americans had passed through Great Lakes, including the Navy’s first African-American officers, known as the “Golden Thirteen.” When World War II ended in 1945, more than one million men and women had trained at Great Lakes. It was the largest of all training stations in the history of the Navy and played a crucial role in America’s war effort.

Post World War II: Following the end of World War II, the Station’s population rapidly decreased from over 90,000 to about 10,000. Although Congress drastically cut the military budget, Great Lakes remained the Navy’s primary training center. The Korean War of 1950–1953 saw an upsurge in recruit numbers, as did the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s. By 1966, Recruit Training Command (RTC) had expanded to 13 barracks accommodating over 18,000 recruits. In 1999, Great Lakes became the Navy’s only Recruit Training Command when the remaining recruit centers in Orlando, Florida, and San Diego, California, were closed.

Modernization: In 1994, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommended consolidation of all enlisted Navy training at Great Lakes. Between 1996 and 1999, commands from Orlando and San Diego were relocated to Great Lakes. This made Great Lakes the largest military installation in Illinois and the largest training center in the Navy. In 2003, a $763 million recapitalization project began, replacing decades-old buildings with 14 new “ship-like” recruit barracks called “ships.” Each “ship” includes berthing, classrooms, a galley, and a quarterdeck, designed to mirror the layout and organization of a Navy vessel. Today, Great Lakes is known as the "Quarterdeck of the Navy" and continues to train every enlisted Sailor in the U.S. Navy.