Encyclopedia > Superintendents of the United States Military Academy
The commanding officer of the United States Military Academy is its Superintendent. This position is roughly equivalent to the president of an American civilian university. The officer appointed is by tradition a graduate of the United States Military Academy who is considered to best exemplify the creed of "Duty, Honor, Country". The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, or simply USMA (or Army, for NCAA purposes), is a United States Army fort and military academy. ...
The United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, or simply USMA (or Army, for NCAA purposes), is a United States Army fort and military academy. ...
Historically, the Superintendency was often a stepping stone to higher prominence within the Army. The list of Superintendents includes future Commanding Generals or Chiefs of Staff John McAllister Schofield, Hugh L. Scott, Douglas MacArthur, Maxwell Davenport Taylor, and William Westmoreland. However, in the modern era, the post is a terminal assignment in the Army; as a condition for detail to the position the officer is required by law to acknowledge that he will be retired at the end of his appointment. This formulation was meant to secure the independence of the Superintendent from undue command influence; however, this lame duck status also restricts his power and influence within the Army. There has been some discussion about reverting to the previous system or recalling a retired officer to fill the post. Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1903, there was generally a single senior-most officer in the army. ...
The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ...
For John Schofield, the recipient of a Victoria Cross see John Schofield (VC). ...
Hugh L. Scott (1853-1934) was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1914 to 1917, including the first few months of American involvement in World War I. Categories: Military biographical stubs | U.S. Army generals ...
Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 â April 5, 1964) was an American general and Medal of Honor recipient, who was Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. He lost the Philippines, but led the defense of Australia, and the recapture of New Guinea, the...
General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an American soldier and diplomat of the mid-20th century. ...
General William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 â July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ...
A lame duck is a bird which has trouble walking, usually due to astraxaphysis, a crippling leg condition affecting waterfowl. ...
The billet carries the rank of lieutenant general, and is not counted against the Army's statutory limit on the number of active-duty officers above the rank of major general. Gen. Andrew J. Goodpaster originally retired from active duty as a full general, was recalled to assume the superintendency as a lieutenant general, and reverted to his four-star rank upon his second retirement. A billet is the place to which a person, generally a soldier, is assigned to sleep. ...
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ...
Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...
Andrew Jackson Goodpaster (12 February 1915 - 16 May 2005) was a notable American general. ...
Superintendents
| Start | End | Rank | Name | Notes | | 1 | 1801 | 1803 | LTC | Jonathan Williams | (1750-1815). In June 1803, Lieutenant Colonel Williams vacated (he did not resign) the post of Superintendent. He returned in Superintendency in April 1805. | | 2 | 1803 | 1805 | MAJ | William Amherst Barron | (1769-1825). Major Barron resigned his commission on 14 June 1807, just before he was brought to trial by a court martial for "for...neglect of the Military Academy..." | | 3 | 1805 | 1812 | COL | Jonathan Williams | See notes for 1. | | 4 | 1812 | 1814 | COL | Joseph Gardner Swift | (1783-1865). Class of 1802. | | 5 | 1814 | 1817 | CPT | Alden Partridge | (1785-1854). Class of 1806. (Actually, Captain Partridge was Acting Superintendent, and Dean of Mathematics. His administration was noted as being unsatisfactory and negligent to duties. When Sylvanus Thayer was appointed, Captain Partridage refused to relinquish command, and was subsequently Court Martialed. He was sentenced to be cashiered in November 1817, and resigned from the Army in April 1818.)1 | | 6 | 1817 | 1833 | COL | Sylvanus Thayer | (1785-1872). Class of 1808. | | 7 | 1833 | 1838 | MAJ | Rene DeRussy | (1796-1864). Class of 1812. | | 8 | 1838 | 1845 | MAJ | Richard Delafield | (1798-1873). Class of 1818. Later served as 12th and 14th Superintendents. | | 9 | 1845 | 1852 | CPT | Henry Brewerton | (1801-1879). Class of 1819. | | 10 | 1852 | 1855 | LTC | Robert E. Lee | (1807-1870). Class of 1829. | | 11 | 1855 | 1856 | CPT | John Gross Barnard | (1815-1882). Class of 1833. | | 12 | 1856 | 1861 | COL | Richard Delafield | See notes for 8. | | 13 | Jan 23, 1861 | Jan 28, 1861 | CPT | Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.) Beauregard | (1818-1893). Class of 1838. | | 14 | Jan 28, 1861 | Mar 1, 1861 | COL | Richard Delafield | See notes for 8. | | 15 | 1861 | 1864 | COL | Alexander Hamilton Bowman | (1803-1865). Class of 1825. | | 16 | Jul 1864 | Sep 1864 | MAJ (brevetted BG) | Zealous Bates Tower | (1819-1900). Class of 1841. | | 17 | 1864 | 1866 | MAJ (brevetted MG) | George Washington Cullum | (1809-1892). Class of 1833. Wrote Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y... , in 1891. | | 18 | 1866 | 1871 | COL | Thomas Gamble Pitcher | (1824-1895). Class of 1845. | | 19 | 1871 | 1876 | COL | Thomas Howard Ruger | (1833-1907). Class of 1854. | | 20 | 1876 | 1881 | MG | John McAllister Schofield | (1831-1906). Class of 1853. Awarded the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in 1861. Later Commanding General of the Army. | | 21 | 1881 | 1882 | BG | Oliver Otis Howard | (1830-1909). Class of 1854. | | 22 | 1882 | 1887 | MAJ | Wesley Merritt | (1834-1910). Class of 1860. | | 23 | 1887 | 1889 | COL | John Parke | (1827-1900). Class of 1849. | | 24 | 1889 | 1893 | COL | John Moulder Wilson | (1837-1919). Class of 1860. Awarded the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Malvern Hill, VA in 1862. | | 25 | 1893 | 1898 | COL | Oswald Hurbert Ernst | (1842-1926). Class of 1864. | | 26 | 1898 | 1906 | COL | Albert Leopold Mills | (1854-1916). Class of 1879. Awarded the Medal of Honor as a 1st Lt. at San Juan Hill in Cuba. Appointed Superintendent to West Point by President McKinley, which carried an automatic promotion from 1st Lt. to Col. | | 27 | 1906 | 1910 | COL | Hugh L. Scott | (1853-1934). Class of 1876. Later Chief of Staff of the Army. | | 28 | 1911 | 1912 | | Thomas Henry Barry | (1855-1919). Class of 1877. | | 29 | 1913 | 1917 | BG | Clarence Page Townsley | (18??-1926). Class of 1881. | | 30 | 1917 | 1919 | | Samuel Escue Tillman | (1847-1942). Class of 1869. | | 31 | 1919 | 1922 | BG | Douglas MacArthur | (1880-1964). Class of 1903. Later Chief of Staff of the Army. Awarded the Medal of Honor in 1942 for his leadership to Philippine resistance to the Japanese invasion. | | 32 | 1922 | 1925 | BG | Fred Winchester Sladen | (1863-1945). Class of 1890. | | 33 | 1926 | 1928 | | Merch Bradt (M.B.) Stewart | (1875-1934). Class of 1896. | | 34 | 1928 | 1928 | | Edwin Baruch Winans | (1869-1947). Class of 1891. | | 35 | 1929 | 1932 | | William Ruthven Smith | (1868-1941). Class of 1892. | | 36 | 1932 | 1938 | | William Durward Connor | (1874-1960). Class of 1897. | | 37 | 1938 | 1940 | | Jay Leland Benedict | (1882-1953). Class of 1904. | | 38 | 1940 | 1942 | | Robert L. Eichelberger | (1886-1961). Class of 1909. | | 39 | 1942 | 1945 | | Francis Bowditch Wilby | (1883-1965). Class of 1905. | | 40 | 1945 | 1949 | MG | Maxwell Davenport Taylor | (1901-1987). Class of 1922. Later Chief of Staff of the Army and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. | | 41 | 1949 | 1951 | | Bryant Edward Moore | (1894-1951). Class of Aug 1917. | | 42 | 1951 | 1954 | MG | Frederick Augustus Irving | (1894-1995). Class of 1917. | | 43 | 1954 | 1956 | | Blackshear Morrison Bryan | (1900-1977). Class of 1922. | | 44 | 1956 | 1960 | | Garrison Holt Davidson | (1904-1992). Class of 1927. | | 45 | 1960 | 1963 | MG | William Westmoreland | (1914-2005). Class of 1936. Later Chief of Staff of the Army. | | 46 | 1963 | 1966 | | James Benjamin Lampert | (1914-1978). Class of 1936. | | 47 | 1966 | 1969 | LTG | Donald V. Bennett | (1915-2005). Class of 1940. | | 48 | 1969 | 1970 | MG | Samuel William Koster | (1919- ). Class of 1942. | | 49 | 1970 | 1974 | | William Allen Knowlton | (1920- ). Class of Jan 1943. | | 50 | 1974 | 1977 | | Sidney Bryan Berry | (1926- ). Class of 1948. | | 51 | 1977 | 1981 | LTG | Andrew Jackson Goodpaster | (1915-2005). Class of 1939. | | 52 | 1981 | 1986 | LTG | Willard Warren Scott, Jr. | (1926- ). Class of 1948. | | 53 | 1986 | 1991 | LTG | Dave Richard Palmer | (1934- ). Class of 1956. | | 54 | 1991 | 1996 | LTG | Howard Dwayne Graves | (1939-2003). Class of 1961. | | 55 | 1996 | 2001 | LTG | Daniel William Christman | (1943- ). Class of 1965. | | 56 | 2001 | 2006 | LTG | William James Lennox, Jr. | (1949- ). Class of 1971. | | 57 | 2006 | | LTG | Franklin Lee Hagenbeck | (1949- ). Class of 1971. | 1 Noted in Biography of Alden Partridage created by the USMA. Copy posted at http://www.dean.usma.edu/math/people/rickey/dms/DeptHeads/Partridge.html Jonathan Williams (May 20, 1750 â May 16, 1815) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin. ...
June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ...
1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...
Jonathan Williams (May 20, 1750 â May 16, 1815) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, a grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin. ...
Joseph Gardner Swift Joseph Gardner Swift (December 31, 1783 – July 23, 1865) was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, was the 2nd graduate of West Point. ...
Capt. ...
Sylvanus Thayer, painting by Robert Weir Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer (June 9, 1785 - September 7, 1872) also known as the Father of West Point was an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point and an early advocate of engineering education in the United States. ...
Richard Delafield Richard Delafield (September 1, 1798 – November 5, 1873) was born in New York City. ...
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 â October 12, 1870) was a career U.S. Army officer and the most celebrated general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ...
Richard Delafield Richard Delafield (September 1, 1798 – November 5, 1873) was born in New York City. ...
Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard Pierre Gustave Toutant de Beauregard (BO-rih-gahrd) (May 28, 1818 â February 20, 1893), best known as a general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, was also a writer, civil servant, and inventor. ...
Richard Delafield Richard Delafield (September 1, 1798 – November 5, 1873) was born in New York City. ...
Thomas H. Ruger in the Civil War Thomas Howard Ruger (April 2, 1833 â June 3, 1907) was an American soldier and lawyer who served as a Union general in the American Civil War. ...
For John Schofield, the recipient of a Victoria Cross see John Schofield (VC). ...
Combatants United States of America State of Missouri Confederate States of America Commanders Nathaniel Lyon Samuel D. Sturgis Franz Sigel Sterling Price Ben McCulloch Strength Army of the West Missouri State Guard and McCullochâs Brigade Casualties 1,235 1,095 The Battle of Wilsons Creek, also known as...
Prior to the institution of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army in 1903, there was generally a single senior-most officer in the army. ...
Portrait of Oliver O. Howard by Mathew Brady, ca. ...
Wesley Merritt (June 16, 1834 â December 3, 1910) was a general in the U.S. Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. ...
John Grubb Parke (Sept. ...
John Moulder Wilson John Moulder Wilson (October 8, 1837 – February 1, 1919) was born in Olympia, Washington. ...
Battle of Malvern Hill Conflict American Civil War Date July 1, 1862 Place Henrico County, Virginia Result Union victory The Battle of Malvern Hill, also known as the Battle of Poindexter’s Farm, took place on July 1, 1862 in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign...
San Juan Hill is a slight incline to the east of Santiago, Cuba, where Spanish soldiers entrenched themselves in the most famous battle of the Spanish-American War; the Battle of San Juan Hill. ...
William McKinley (January 29, 1843 â September 14, 1901) was the 25th President of the United States. ...
Hugh L. Scott (1853-1934) was Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1914 to 1917, including the first few months of American involvement in World War I. Categories: Military biographical stubs | U.S. Army generals ...
The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ...
Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 â April 5, 1964) was an American general and Medal of Honor recipient, who was Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. He lost the Philippines, but led the defense of Australia, and the recapture of New Guinea, the...
The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ...
Edwin Baruch Winans (May 16, 1826âJuly 4, 1894) was a U.S. Representative from and Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. ...
Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (9 March 1886 – 26 September 1961) was a general in the United States Army, who commanded the US Eighth Army in the Pacific during World War II. Eichelberger was born at Urbana, Ohio, on 9 March 1886. ...
Francis Bowditch Wilby (1883-1965) Francis Bowditch Wilby (1883-1965) was a General in the US Army. ...
General Maxwell Davenport Taylor (August 26, 1901 – April 19, 1987) was an American soldier and diplomat of the mid-20th century. ...
The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ...
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ...
General William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 â July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ...
The Flag of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA) is the professional head of the United States Army who is responsible for insuring readiness of the Army. ...
Donald Vivian Bennett (May 9, 1915-November 28, 2005) retired as a four star general from the U.S. Army in 1974. ...
Andrew Jackson Goodpaster (born 12 February 1915) is a retired American general. ...
Lt. ...
Lieutenant General William James Lennox, Jr. ...
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