Herman Beukema Herman Beukema ( January 29 , 1891 – November 26 , 1960 ) was a Brigadier General in the United States Army . Early life . Beukema was born in Muskegon , Michigan to a family of Dutch immigrants . He was valedictorian of his high school , a reporter for the Muskegon " Daily Chronicle " and the Muskegon " Morning News " and a track enthusiast . Military career . After attending the University of Chicago , Beukema graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1915 in what many historians refer to as “ the class the stars fell on ” in reference to the 59 generals who would come from that class , most notably Omar Bradley and Dwight D . Eisenhower . After being commissioned upon graduation , Beukema served on the Mexican frontier , and commanded an artillery battalion in France as a major when he was wounded in 1918 . He studied at the Field Artillery School and at the Army Command and General Staff school . In 1928 , Beukema joined the staff at the United States Military Academy as a professor of economics , government , and history . In 1930 , Beukema became head of that department ( renamed the Social Sciences Department in 1947 ) , serving in that role until his retirement from the Army in 1954 . He received honorary degrees from Washington & Jefferson University , Rutgers University , and Norwich University . Army Specialized Training Program . Beukema was a founder of the Army Specialized Training Program , an innovative effort to strengthen the Army by providing accelerated college education to intelligent enlisted soldiers . The Army Specialized Training Program also allocated funds to civilian tertiary education institutions to develop programs in international and military affairs . Beukema ’ s efforts helped make the United States Military Academy a certified institution by the Association of American Colleges , and guaranteed that all Army graduates would receive a Bachelor of Science degree in addition to their commission . Scholarship . During his tenure at the United States Military Academy , Beukema became the foremost expert of " geopolitik " at the United States Army . He taught the first college course in the United States on the subject , and was recognized nationally as a leading geopolitician . Beukema concentrated his efforts in the geographic regions of Europe and the Far - East , and devoted most of his attention to Germany . Beukema wrote a series of essay ’ s critiquing Karl Haushofer , a German professor at the University of Munich . Haushofer was a pioneer in " geopolitik " thinking , and his teachings were a foundation for Adolf Hitler ’ s framework for Nazi ideology . Beukema writings reveal " geopolitik " as an instrument of state power and the Nazi ’ s use of " geopolitik " as a pretext for expansion and world domination . Beukema ' s teachings ensured that Academy graduates had a solid knowledge of economics , geography , and politics , and their relationship to national power . Because of his focus on Nazi Germany , Beukema earned a reputation as a leading " saber rattler " several years before the onset of World War II . Each year , the Academy presents the Herman Beukema Memorial Award to its top political science graduate .