United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

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'Zfi,fQ1?TZfCZO57?4ff 2,-Wi? 751 f A N9M1Le.m3PivHs1,:,sxif i 2 F' acquired at lrVest Point. This is the Old Army to which men look back with pride. C'Quntry's Wars.-The Mexican War was fought men in command of squadrons, battalions and Well it was fought let General Scott, the say: I give it as my fixed opinion ggracluatecl cadets, the war betvveen the Mexico might, and -probably would, have years, with, in its first half, more defeats to our share, whereas, in less than two a great country and a peace, with- battle or skirmish. VV hat the gradu- Wfar would take a volume to relate. VVar and still more the pacification brilliant chapters in the Armyis Military Academy is a school of a results of its training have been so that the community at large has come school itself and to approve, Without its methods If the results are on the methods by which they are at- this is the logic of the public, which iresults. Exactly what its methods are persons in civil life understand, even education. There are many graduates in, fact, pvvho have never thought out our

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and the class graded. The annual and final class standing of cach cadet was determined by his marks alone. His conduct was recorded by means of demerit marks. A graded series of punishments was devised, before they were imposed the offender had an opportunity to submit an explanation in writing. Boards of Visitors reported annually on the whole activity of the school. The corps of cadets was divided into companies and organized as a battalion of infantry, with ofncers appointed from the cadets. The summer was spent in camp. A commandant of cadets was detailed, with tact- ical officers under his command. An officer in charge had the immediate care of each day's military duties, and he was assisted by cadet OICflC61'S of the day and guard. The U. S. M. A. regulations of ISIS were written on a single sheet of paper Qnovv in the libraryj. Under Thayer they took a form very much like those of 1907. Our School.-Every cadet will recognize, as he reads these phrases one by one, that the whole framework of our school is here described, piece by piece. Each distinctive feature is portrayed. The whole of our corporate effort is set forth. Tye recognize in Thayer the true Father of the Military Academyfa scientific soldier, a scholar, an organ- izer, an administrator-austere, intelligent, and Wise. He represents its whole tradition. His statue stands on our parade ground. A portrait in full uniform, which he always wore, is in the mess hall. Every day he had the cadet officer of the day to dine with him. I can imagine that the young gentleman would willingly have escaped the ordeal, but this ceremony, like all others, had its uses. The great Superin- tendent's wise and steady hand controlled every movement of the complex machine he had invented. He prescribed the standards of military excellence and guided the Aca- demic Board. He was a scholar in classics as well as in science. The men he drew about him, devoted and faithful, seconded his efforts because they respected his ideals and accomplishments. Crozet, Bartlett, Mahan, Church, and their colleagues represent a great epoch. For sixteen years -until 1833-he directed our school. Wlhen he left it, it had taken shape. Our History.-Since that time there has been a gradual increase in accomplishment, corresponding to the gradual increase of scholarship throughout our land-there has been improvement. There have also been periods of change, the pendulum swinging a little to either side of the normal he established. The changes that were not improvements wore out in time, and were corrected and forgotten. There have also been periods of stress when the very theory of the insti- tution seemed to be in danger, but they have been passed in safety. A calm survey of the seventy-four years that separate Thayer's time from ours shows that his hand is still pointing true to our goal, that his ideals still govern his beloved school. Under Thayer 570 cadets were graduated, and most of them entered the army, into which they carried the professional competence, dignity and skill that they had

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Academic' briefly school W1 Wxth Ins Jewell so- that it has rcom fbr 'every talent, no matter how excep-