Francis Bowditch Wilby Francis Bowditch Wilby ( April 24 , 1883 – November 20 , 1965 ) was a Major General in the United States Army who served as the 39th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1942 to 1945 , during World War II . Early years and WW I . Francis Bowditch Wilby was born on April 24 , 1883 in Detroit , Michigan . He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point , New York and was a graduate of Class of 1905 . He was commissioned as a Second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers on June 13 , 1905 . Wilby was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant on June 7 , 1907 and in September of the same year , he was ordered to the Washington , D . C . , where he attended the Engineer School at Washington Barracks ( now Fort Lesley J . McNair ) . Wilby also served with the United States forces during the United States occupation of Cuba between years 1906 – 1909 . With the Americas entry in the World War I , Wilby was transferred to the France with the American Expeditionary Force . His first assignment with AEF was as the Instructor of 1st Corps Engineer School in Gondrecourt - le - Château . He also attended the French engineer school at Chalons - sur - Marne . On March 20 , 1918 Wilby was transferred to the Chaumont - Porcien on Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Force , where he was appointed as a Chief of Engineer Intelligence Division in the Office of Chief of Engineers . On September 26 , 1918 , Wilby was transferred to the 1st Infantry Division under command of Major general Robert Lee Bullard , where he was appointed as a Commander of 1st Engineers . Wilby stayed in this capacity until March 14 , 1919 , where he was ordered back to the United States . For his distinguished service during World War I , Wilby was awarded with Army Distinguished Service Medal by the Government of the United States and with Croix de Guerre with Palm by the Government of the France . Distinguished Service Medal Citation . The official U . S . Army citation for Wilby ' s Distinguished Service Medal reads : World War II . Wilby was transferred to the Governors Island , New York , where he was appointed as a Chief of Staff of the First United States Army under the command of Lieutenant general Hugh A . Drum on October 26 , 1939 . He was also promoted to the rank of Brigadier general on October 1 , 1940 . In July 1941 , Wilby was transferred to the 1st Corps Area and became a Commanding general of this unit . Wilby was promoted to the rank of Major General on September 29 , 1941 . On January 13 , 1942 , Major general Wilby was selected to be appointed a Superintendent of the United States Military Academy and he stayed in this capacity for the whole World War II until September 4 , 1945 . His last military assignment was at Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County , Virginia , where he served as a commander of the Engineer school until January 31 , 1946 , when he finally retired from the Army . Retirement . After his retirement from the Army , Wilby was appointed as a Chairman of the New York Power Authority and served in this capacity until 1950 . Then he worked as an consultant engineer of the Knappen Tibbetts Abbeit Company until his final retirement in 1952 . Major general Francis Bowditch Wilby died on November 20 , 1965 at the age of 82 in Ashville , North Carolina and is buried at United States Military Academy Post Cemetery in West Point , New York together with his wife Dorothy Langfitt ( 1887 - 1948 ) . Decorations . Here is the ribbon bar of Major General Wilby :