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107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. J. RES. 83

Congratulating the United States Military Academy at West Point on its

bicentennial anniversary, and commending its outstanding contributions

to the Nation.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 26, 2002

Mr. SHIMKUS (for himself, Mr. HINCHEY, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mrs. KELLY, Mr.

KELLER, Mr. FORBES, Mr. REYES, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. MURTHA, Mr.

KING, Mr. OWENS, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr.

MCHUGH, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. GRAHAM, and Mr.

LANGEVIN) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred

to the Committee on Armed Services

JOINT RESOLUTION

Congratulating the United States Military Academy at West

Point on its bicentennial anniversary, and commending

its outstanding contributions to the Nation.

Whereas establishing a military academy to teach the technical arts of war was a desire of many of our founding

fathers, particularly George Washington;

Whereas Congress passed legislation on March 16, 1802, to

establish such a military academy to be located at West

Point, New York, a site that Washington called the key

to the continent because of its strategic importance during the Revolution;
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Whereas President Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation

establishing the United States Military Academy at West

Point, an institution dedicated to promoting scientific

education to benefit the Nation and to attracting a diverse array of young citizens to the Nation’s military

leadership;

Whereas Sylvanus Thayer, who served as Superintendent of

the Academy from 1817 to 1833, established the foundation of the Academy’s strong academic program, strict

adherence to discipline, and emphasis on moral and ethical conduct;

Whereas, under Douglas MacArthur’s leadership as Superintendent from 1919 to 1922, the Academy was modernized to prepare its graduates for the challenges of the

20th century;

Whereas the Academy, the first school in America to teach

engineering, produced graduates who were responsible for

the construction of the Nation’s first railroad lines and

many of its early harbor improvements, bridges, roads,

and canals;

Whereas Academy graduates introduced engineering education to numerous colleges and universities, and carried

out such monumental engineering projects as the construction of the Panama Canal project;

Whereas Academy graduates have also distinguished themselves in the leadership of such innovative scientific research and development projects as the development of

atomic bombs in the Manhattan Project during World

War II;
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Whereas Academy graduates have served with character and

distinction in all of America’s wars and military actions

since the War of 1812;

Whereas 74 Academy graduates have earned the Nation’s

highest military honor, the Medal of Honor;

Whereas 2 Academy graduates, Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight

D. Eisenhower, served both as distinguished general officers and as the President of the United States, and many

other graduates have served in all levels of government;

Whereas dozens of Academy graduates have been astronauts,

including the Academy graduate who is the first American to walk in space and 2 Academy graduates who

walked on the moon;

Whereas hundreds of Academy graduates have utilized their

talents in the private sector, to provide managerial and

technical expertise that is responsible, in part, for nurturing and sustaining a system of enterprise that is admired around the world;

Whereas the Academy has provided an opportunity for men

and women of all races, religions, and cultures to receive

a college education and to begin a life of service to the

Army and the Nation; and

Whereas the motto of the Academy, ‘‘Duty, Honor, Country’’,

exemplifies the spirit of this Republic: Now, therefore, be

it

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 That Congress congratulates the United States Military

4 Academy on its bicentennial anniversary, recognizes it as

5 an outstanding leadership development institution that up-
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1 holds and promotes the highest virtues of American soci2 ety, and commends all those who have led and taught at

3 the Academy for inculcating its 58,000 graduates with

4 moral, ethical, and intellectual values and skills that are

5 the foundations for the dedicated service so honorably

6 given by those graduates to the Army, the Nation, and

7 friends of freedom and liberty around the world for 200

8 years.

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