The (podcast) Trident Room History

The Trident Room Podcast officially started broadcasting in the summer of 2020. It was created by an HSI/OR student who wanted to capture conversations he was having with the impressive array of faculty, students, and staff roaming the halls of NPS. Podcasting provides a direct and unfettered connection with listeners, and he wanted to bring that same kind of informative, yet intimate exchange to the Naval Postgraduate School community.

Topics to be featured on The Trident Room Podcast include (but are not limited to): 

• The on-campus “NPS Student-Learning Experience”
• NPS Science and Technology
• Student leadership, now, and in the Fleet
• Facing difficult multi-domain problems
• Applied research as the bridge between the classroom and the Fleet 
• Individual, tactical, operational, and strategic level topics relevant to Naval Officers 
• Human-centric technology, operations, and processes

The Trident Room Podcast was developed with support provided by the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association and Foundation (NPSAAF). Founded in 1970 at the request of former NPS Superintendent Rear Adm. Robert McNitt, the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation (NPSF) has a strong history of supporting our nation’s top graduate-level military institution. ADM Henry Mauz then took up the charge and lead NPSAAF into a "new era" and provided critical leadership over the past 25 years.

For decades, the foundation has administered private donations to the school, improved the school’s physical facilities, funded innovative research to address national security issues, and led many other initiatives to elevate the educational experience for our nation’s service members.  In 2018, NPSF became the NPS Alumni Association & Foundation, as the organization officially established an alumni association for NPS graduates.

The image of the Trident Room used on this website was captured by 2014 Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security graduate Ms. Angi English. The Trident Room Podcast is released by the Naval Postgraduate School Office of University Communications.

The (real) Trident Room History

In 1926 The Spanish Revival Hotel Del Monte opened what they called “The Children’s Playroom” during the prohibition. The “playroom” acted as a speakeasy where the community came together. Within a week of the repeal of Prohibition in December 1933, the room officially became a bar. Hotel Del Monte renamed “The Children’s Playroom” as The Del Monte Tap Room. 

In 1951 the historic building became the Naval Academy’s postgraduate school that instructed students from multiple service branches. In 1953, The Trident Room was born (and renovated), becoming a social site for the students. The bar still possesses most of the original fixtures and character -- stained glass windows, copper, and dark wood. The ceiling is neatly lined with rows of designated mugs for each student. Each mug possesses a unique signature illustrated by the student, and that mug is taken with the student when they graduate. 

Within the atmosphere of The Trident Room, the patrons of the bar range from CIA agents, quantum physicists, airmen, and astronauts. Looking for the perfect place to have a drink? Welcome to The Trident Room.

Article: Trident Room, a Bar So Exclusive You Need An Escort