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Naval Academy sports complex dedicated

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Naval Academy has dedicated its new field house in honor of the first black man to graduate from the school.

D.C. resident Wesley Brown was celebrated Saturday as a pioneer of racial justice as the Naval Academy opened the 140,000-square-foot sports complex.

The 81-year-old Brown, who is a retired lieutenant commander, told the crowd that the honor was “the most wonderful moment” of his life.

The $50 million Wesley A. Brown Field House is the new home of the Naval Academy’s track and field teams. It also will serve as the practice space for the football and women’s volleyball teams.

Brown is a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and served in the Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps.