The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-19
BIRTHDAY OF UNCLE SANS
SCHOOL FOR ARMY OFFICERS

Cadets, officers and ex.officers OF
the United States army who look
upon West Point as their alma mater
will celebrate today the 18th anniver.
sary of the founding Of the United
States Military Academy. 1t was in
March 16, 1902, that the United States
congress authorized the establishment
of school for the trimming OF officers
for the army. West Point, on the
Hudson In New York., military post
since ITS, was chosen as the site OF
tho academy, which was formally
opened the same year. with q class OF
ten young men.
West Poit was modelled to a con-
siderable extent after the Royal Mil.
itary Academy ut Woolwicli, England,
which was opened In 1745. George
Washington was one OF the most en-.
thusiastic promoters of the school,
and as early as 1776 he had induced
congress to appoint a committee to
consider a plan for military school.
In his congressional message In 1893
Washington made plea for the
founding OF such an Institution. and
instruction in military matters was
given to the soldiers stationed at
West Point long before congress au.
thorized the school.
The West Point academy was not
considered OF much importance in the
decade following its founding, and
only seventy-one students were gradu-
ated in the first ten years Of It's exist
ence. Congress made little provision
for its maintenance, and in 1919, Just
before the outbreak OF the war with
Great Britain, the academy was total.
ly without instructors and apparently
moribund.
The lack Of competent officers in
the war which closed century ago
impressed upon the Washington law.
makers the necessity Of a more liber.
al treatment OF the infant academy,
aud It was reorganized upon better
principles. West Point had little
standing. however. until Colonel Syl-
vanus Thayer was appointed superIn.
tendent. Compared with Woolwich,
In England, and st. Cyr, in France,
West Point had been Joke, but Col.
sThayer, who became the head OF the
! school In 1917, applied such vigor and
ability to his task that the academy
became famous throughout the world.
Another war was needed to give
West Point the support 1t needed, and
the conflict between the states, fol.
lowing the Mexican war, gave the
academy great impetus. For half .
centurysit has held rank among the
greatest Of the worlds great military
schools, and its methods have been
carefully. studied by military experts
Of European powers.
The course Of instruction at West
Point covers four years. The princi'
pal subjects In which the embryo Of
acers are instructed are mathematics,
drawing, drill regulations Of all arms
Of the service, English, French, chem,
istry, experimental and natural phil
osophy, electricity, mineralogy, geol,
ogy. history, international and consti.
tutional and military law, civil and
military engineering, Spanish, ord,
nance and gunnery, and, In general
the art and science OF warefare.
The discipline at West Point Is very
strict-eyen more so than in the army
and the student mingles little with
the outside world. From the middle
Of June until the first OF September
the cadets live in camp, where they
receive practical military instruction
and engage only In military. duties.
Each senator, congressional district
and territory Is entitled to have one
cadet in the academy, and there are
also forty appointments at large. The
denominations are often, but not neees.
isarily, made by competitive exaniin-