The Washington times., 1902-03-16
One Hundred Years Ago Today the Founda-
ton Of Americas Ideal Military Academy
Was Laid, by An Act Of Congress -Presi-
dent Authorized to Organize Corps Of
Engineers to Consist Of Seven Officers and
TenCadets-Growth Of the Famous School
During the Past Century. Il * II .s

~ NE hundred years ago today, the
act of March 16, 1902, laid the
~. foundation of the academy at
West Point which ranks among
the foremost of i. the present military
schools of the world.
George Washington said to Congress in
1870: However pacific the general pol
icy Of a nation may be. it never should
be without an adequate stock of military
knowledge for emergencies" And his
plans. as elaborated by his Secretaries of
War, Knox and McHenry, were adopted in
the law of March 16, 1902 and made the
United States Military Academy fact,
instead of a disputed proposition.
First Suggestion.
The first suggestion for the establish
ment of a military academy came from
Colonel Pickering. in letter to General
Washington in 1873, respecting The peace
establishment which was then under con-
sideration by Congress. The experiences
of the war through which the country
had just passed, the imninence of trouble
with France, and the huIniliating knowl-
edge that. during the Revolutionary war,
the services of French engineers had hid
TO be called because there were not
enough men in the country possessed of
skill requisite to act in that capacity; all
these facts emphasized the need for
Government school in which might tie
educated those VINO would, in return,
adequately defend the country against The
skilled fighters of the world.
Site of Academy.
The Academy is situated on high point
of land on the west bank of the Hudson,
about fifty-five miles from New York
city. The plot contains about 200 acres,
and is bounded by the river and noun
tains The country round about abounds
in the remains of no less than forty re-
doubts and forts erected during the
Revolutionary war, and the summit of the
mountain overlooking the plain on which
the academic buildings are located, is
crowned with the ruins Of the celebrated
Fort Putnam, which was commenced be-
fore, but not finished until after, the
Revolution. The fort was called after
Colonel Putnam, the engineer of the work,
and not after "old Put as General Put
nam, of the Revolution, was famiiiarly
styled.
Act Of Authorization.
The act authorized the President to or
ganize corps Of engineers, which, when
20 organized, shall be stationed at Wes:
Point, in the State of New York, and
shall constitute a Military Academy"
The corps was TO consist OF seven officers
and ten cadets; the senior officer was to
have the superintendent of the said
Military Academy; and the Secretary of
War, under the Presidents direction, was
to make regulations for its government
and to procure the necessary books, i'm
plements, and apparatus for its use and
benefit. Little more was originally con-
templated than merely to plant the germ
Of a great military institution, by Civ
ing a small but select corps of engineers
q kind OF local habitation and a name.
This was the small beginning of what has
since become u unique and famous edu-
eational establishment.
Unlike Other Military Schools.
unlike military schools OF other coun-
tries, 1t educates men for officers IN al.
the branches of the service. 1t is spe-
cial and technical school-in no sense a
university or even a college-devoted to
the sole purpose of training soldiers.
But. as the basis of instruction was math-
ematical and analytical. it was for many
years, before the formation of the schools
of technology at the great universities,
and indspsadent of them. the only insti-