The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-06-20
A Letter From
BILL. LANTAFF

Each year, about this time,
thoughts of obtaining an appoint
ment to West Point or Annapolis
enter the minds of many young
men, while others dismiss the
thought because they or their FAM
lilies do not know their Congress
man and feel they must have po-
|litical influence TO be considered
for appointment.
While Congressman may estab-
fish their own method for making
academy appointments, with some,
appointing the sons of their friends
or business associates or making
their selection for political reasons
your Congressman has found far
too many young men from South
Florida who are eager to win an
appointment, for me to limit the
opportunity to a few by following
such an appointment method.
Your Congressman has adopt
ed policy whereby any young
man from the Fourth Congression-
al District of Florida may have
the opportunity to compete for my
appointments. I don't believe in
playing politics with these young
men. To me it is far more i'm
portant what the young man knows
rather than who he knows, what he
sis. not who he is.
To clarity the confusion and mis-
understanding which results evil
IDENTIFY from the knowledge that
Congressman could select their
appointments on any basis they
choose, and without requiring COM
petition. is the main purpose of
this letter. 1t is to explain your
Congressman's appointment policy
and to encourage your men TO
compete for my appointments.
My policy works this way. Any
young man, from Florida'S Fourth
Congressional District. between IL
and p, and physically qualified,
need only write me that he desires
to compete for my appointments to
West Point or Annapolis. His letter
is all that is required to gain the
opportunity to compete. Letters
from his family or friends do not
in any way enhance his chances
nor influence his selection, since
he must compete and win the APP
pointment on his own merit.
A congressman is permitted five
Midshipman in Annapolis and four
Cadets at West Point at one time.
As vacancies occur appointments
are made. This may mean an ap-
pointment each year, or two one
year and none the next. Classes
begin at the academies in July.
The examination is comprised of
two phases. The first phase is
written examination which | re-
quest Civil Service conduct for me
year in advance of the class start
ing date for which there is a va
cancy. The purpose Of this test is
to determine the mental ability Of
the applicants.
When the results Of the written
examination are received, the
young men scoring adequate grades
are requested to appear before a
board Of prominent South Florid-
ians for a personal interview. Your
Congressman selected this board
for the purpose of judging the APP
plicants on their attitude, person
atty and general all-around quail
ificatioEs.
The nominations for appointment
are then made with the young men
scoring the highest combined score
for the written test and interview
being automatically awarded my
appointments. This policy takes
academy appointments out of POI
Iitics and gives every young man
in my district a chance to earn
his way into Annapolis or West
Point.
Sincerely yours,
BILL LANTAFF