  The character ring \CGL of covariant irreducible tensor representations of
the general linear group admits a Hopf algebra structure isomorphic to the Hopf
algebra \Sym$ of symmetric functions. Here we study the character rings \CO and
\CSp of the orthogonal and symplectic subgroups of the general linear group
within the same framework of symmetric functions. We show that \CO and \CSp
also admit natural Hopf algebra structures that are isomorphic to that of \CGL,
and hence to \Sym. The isomorphisms are determined explicitly, along with the
specification of standard bases for \CO and \CSp analogous to those used for
\Sym. A major structural change arising from the adoption of these bases is the
introduction of new orthogonal and symplectic Schur-Hall scalar products.
Significantly, the adjoint with respect to multiplication no longer coincides,
as it does in the \CGL case, with a Foulkes derivative or skew operation. The
adjoint and Foulkes derivative now require separate definitions, and their
properties are explored here in the orthogonal and symplectic cases. Moreover,
the Hopf algebras \CO and \CSp are not self-dual. The dual Hopf algebras \CO^*
and \CSp^* are identified. Finally, the Hopf algebra of the universal rational
character ring \CGLrat of mixed irreducible tensor representations of the
general linear group is introduced and its structure maps identified.
