The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-16
TODAY IN HISTORY
The United statea Military Academy
WEDNESDAY,, MARCH 16

Although West FONT has been occupied
as a military post since January 20. li's.
the actual creation OF n military academy.
as 1t is known today. occurred In lsO2.
under the authorization of an act ot con.
eress approved on March l6. West Point
was selected or account OF its location,
and with class Of ten cadets present IL
was formally opened on July T. 1907.
The academy Itself had its origin IN
a resolution passed by congress on octo.
ber /. lT76. which appointed n committee
10 prepare plan for "A military school
for the army" General Washington was
untiring In his efforts to establish the
1871 that the corps Of invalidss was
marched from Philadelphia to join the
garrison at West Point. In his message
to congress In December, 1793. he made
special reference TO the idea. a fire
in 1896 destroyed the buildings but thcT
were rebuilt and instruction was resumed
In 1901
The academy passed through various
and In March, 1872. was without single
instructor. The war Of 1872 however:
called The attention Of the government
TO the pressing needs of the academy.
Only seventy-one students had been grad
uated In It's first ten years, and through
President Madson's efforts the institution
was reorsa nlzed In April 1872, under the
principles which underlie lis present sys-
TEN.
Colonel syivanus Thayer was appoint,~sd
superintendent OF West Point In lSli'
ana tlIN'cUcG III Jll5h'nE Tue luSNl't'l.''
famous among the military schools of the
world, The civil war brought West Point
into considerable prominence throushout
the civilized world: so much so that since
then its methods have been carefully
studied by the experts Of nearly every
great government. All the generals OF
the civil war, who fought on either side
Of the great conflict. were West Point
graduates.
The system Of training officers at West
FONT Is regarded as more complete mar
that OF any other country. The student
at present, minglcs little with the outside
world except during his furlough AT the
close OF two years, so that the four mos'
| impressive years OF his life are spent N
n training and environment well calcu-
| lated 10 produce n thorough soldier.
The number Of students at present i;
| limited 10 $40. Each senator. congress
sional district and territory as well a:
| Alaska and Hawaii. are entitled 10 have
| one cadet at the academy. There are
also forty appointments at large special
| " conferred by the President OF The
dents attending from foreign govern
! ments, by special arrangement with th'
| United States government, their expense:
being paid by their home government
March Is Is the birthday Of William
Byrd. the founder OF Richmond. Va
| G67D. Of James Madison, fourth prcsi
dent OF the United states uI5i(;. o
| Je thro Wood. inventor of the cast-iroI
plow 0I74): OF Caroline Iucrctia Her
| schel the astronomer G150): Of Genera
! George A. Mccall. who served I'm Florida
Mexican and civil wars uSo2)i OF Edmund
| GS2D: Of Andrew :. Hallidie, inventor o
the cable road GS36) OF Gonzalvo d.
Cordova OF Spain, known as tho tirea
Captain G453). and on March l6 I'll
berins Claudius Nero died. a. D.. anC
Emperor Valentnian III was assassin
ated In $50.