Samuel Pepys introduced meritocratic naval exams in 1677
The case was made that Samuel Pepys professionalized the Royal Navy by introducing oral exams for lieutenants long before similar army reforms.
Keep reading this one
You've read the thesis and who argued it. A free account opens the argument, what validates it, the risks the show raised, and the moment in the episode where it was said — 3 ideas in full a day, no card.