Notable graduates of West Point

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This is a list of notable graduates of the United States Military Academy (West Point), arranged by category. List may be incomplete. To see a list of Wikipedia articles about West Point graduates click here.



Contents

[edit] Listed by claim to fame

This list is intended to categorize graduates by what they are famous for. More than one category may apply. For example, Ulysses S. Grant was a famous military leader and head of state, and is listed under both. He also participated in the Mexican-American War, but is not listed in that category, because he is not famous for his role in the war.

[edit] Politicians

[edit] Heads of State

[edit] Cabinet members

[edit] Governors (civil)

[edit] Governors (military)

[edit] Legislators

[edit] Mayors

  • William Lewis Cabell, Class of 1850. Mayor of Dallas, Texas (1874-76, 1877-79, 1883-85)
  • Robert M. Isaac, Class of 1951. Mayor of Colorado Springs, Colorado (1979-1997)
  • Matt Collier, Class of 1979. Mayor of Flint, Michigan.

[edit] Jurists

  • Francis Redding Tillou Nicholls, Class of 1855, Chief Justice Louisiana Supreme Court (1892-1911)
  • Richard Whitehead Young, Class of 1882. Philippines Supreme Court Justice (1899-1901)
  • Haldane R. Mayer, Class of 1963. Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. (1997-2004)
  • Rhesa H. Barksdale, Class of 1966. U. S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1990- )
  • Roy Moore, Class of 1969. Chief Justice Alabama Supreme Court (2001-2003)

[edit] Ambassadors

Barry McCaffrey, Class of 1964
Barry McCaffrey, Class of 1964

[edit] Military commanders

[edit] Mexican-American War

[edit] U.S. Civil War

Complete list of West Point grads as Civil War generals

[edit] Indian Wars & Buffalo Soldiers

Henry Ossian Flipper, Class of 1877, first African American graduate
Henry Ossian Flipper, Class of 1877, first African American graduate

[edit] Spanish-American War and Philippines Commands

John J. Pershing, Class of 1886
John J. Pershing, Class of 1886

[edit] Pancho Villa Expedition

[edit] World War I

John L. Hines, Class of 1891
John L. Hines, Class of 1891

[edit] World War II

George S. Patton, Class of 1909
George S. Patton, Class of 1909
Omar Bradley, Class of 1915
Omar Bradley, Class of 1915

[edit] Israeli War for Independence

[edit] Korean War

Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903
Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903

[edit] Vietnam War

[edit] Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm)

Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., Class of 1956
Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr., Class of 1956

[edit] War on Terrorism

  • General Wayne A. Downing, Class of 1962. Chairman of the Combating Terrorism Center at USMA.
  • Douglas B. Gurian, Class of 1986. Only USMA Graduate to die in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

[edit] Iraq War (Operation Iraqi Freedom)

  • John Abizaid, Class of 1973. 3/325 Airborne Battalion Combat Team
  • James H. Coffman, Jr., Class of 1978. Distinguished Service Cross for action at Mosul, Iraq
  • Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, Class of 1976. Chief military spokesman for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, 2003 - 2004.
  • Colonel H. R. McMaster, Class of 1983. Commander, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
  • David Petraeus, Class of 1974. First commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq and the NATO Training Mission-Iraq; Commander 101st Airborne Division, Commander-in-Chief, Central Command.
  • David Rodriguez, Class of 1976. Commander, 82nd Airborne Division.

[edit] Army Chiefs of Staff/Commanders of the Army

William Westmoreland, Class of 1936
William Westmoreland, Class of 1936

[edit] Air Force Chiefs of Staff

Carl Spaatz, Class of 1914
Carl Spaatz, Class of 1914
  • General Carl Spaatz, Class of 1914. 1st U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff (1947–1948)
  • General Thomas D. White, Class of 1920. 4th U.S.A.F Chief of Staff (1957—1961)
  • General John P. McConnell, Class of 1932. 6th U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff (1965–1969)
  • General John Dale Ryan, Class of 1938. 7th U.S.A.F Chief of Staff (1969–1973)
  • General Lew Allen, Class of 1946. 10th U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff (1978-1982)
  • General Charles A. Gabriel, Class of 1950. 11th U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff (1982-1986)
  • General Michael Dugan, Class of 1952. 13th U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff (1990)

[edit] Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

[edit] Supreme Allied Commanders of NATO

Alexander Haig, Class of 1947
Alexander Haig, Class of 1947

[edit] Chief of Staff of Non-American Armed Forces

[edit] Highly Decorated

[edit] Medal of Honor recipients

For a complete list of West Point graduates who won the Medal of Honor, click here.

  • John Cleveland Robinson, Class of 1839.
  • John Porter Hatch, Class of 1845.
  • Orlando B. Wilcox, Class of 1847.
  • Absalom Baird, Class of 1849.
  • Rufus Saxton, Class of 1849.
  • Eugene Asa Carr, Class of 1850.
  • David S. Stanley, Class of 1852. For gallantry at Franklin Tennessee (Civil War)
  • Oliver Otis Howard, Class of 1853.
  • John McAllister Schofield, Class of 1853.
  • Oliver Duff Greene, Class of 1853.
  • Zenas Randall Bliss, Class of 1854.
  • Alexander S. Webb, Class of 1855. For gallantry at Gettysburg (Civil War)
  • Abraham Kerns Arnold, Class of 1859.
  • Horace Porter, Class of 1860.
  • John Moulder Wilson, Class of 1860.
  • Adelbert Ames, Class of 1861.
  • Eugene Beauharnais Beaumont, Class of 1861.
  • Samuel Nicholl Benjamin, Class of 1861.
  • Henry A. du Pont, Class of 1861. For bravery at the Battle of Cedar Creek (Civil War)
  • Guy Vernor Henry, Class of 1861.
  • George Lewis Gillespie, Jr., Class of 1862.
  • William Sully Beebe, Class of 1863.
  • William Henry Harrison Benyaurd, Class of 1863.
  • Edward Settle Godfrey, Class of 1867
  • William Preble Hall, Class of 1868.
  • John Gregory Bourke, Class of 1869.
  • William Edward Birkhimer, Class of 1870.
  • Robert Goldthwaite Carter, Class of 1870.
  • John Brown Kerr, Class of 1870.
  • Edward John McClernand, Class of 1870.
  • Charles Albert Varnum, Class of 1872.
  • Frank West, Class of 1872.
  • William Harding Carter, Class of 1873.
  • Marion Perry Maus, Class of 1874.
  • Ernest Albert Garlington, Class of 1876.
  • John Chowning Gresham, Class of 1876.
  • Oscar Fitzalan Long, Class of 1876.
  • James Parker, Class of 1876.
  • Matthias Walter Day, Class of 1877.
  • Robert Temple Emmet, Class of 1877.
  • Wilber Elliiott Wilder, Class of 1877.
  • James Franklin Bell, Class of 1878.
  • Lloyd Milton Brett, Class of 1879.
  • Thomas Cruse, Class of 1879.
  • Albert Leopold Mills, Class of 1879.
  • George Ritter Burnett, Class of 1880.
  • Hugh Jocelyn McGrath, Class of 1880.
  • George Horace Morgan, Class of 1880.
  • William Hampden Sage, Class of 1882.
  • John William Heard, Class of 1883.
  • Powhatan H. Clarke, Class of 1884.
  • Robert Lee Howze, Class of 1888.
  • Louis Bowem Lawton, Class of 1893.
  • Charles DuVal Roberts, Class of 1897.
  • Ira Clinton Welborn, Class of 1898.
  • Emory Jenison Pike, Class of 1901.
  • Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903. For heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan Peninsula (World War II)
  • Arthur Harrison Wilson, Class of 1904.
  • Calvin P. Titus, Class of 1905.
  • Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV, Class of 1906.
  • John Thomas Kennedy, Class of 1908.
  • William Hale Wilbur, Class of 1912.
  • Demas T. Craw, Class of 1924.
  • Leon William Johnson, Class of 1926.
  • Frederick Walker Castle, Class of 1930.
  • Robert George Cole, Class of 1939.
  • Leon Robert Vance, Jr., Class of 1939.
  • Alexander Ramsey Nininger, Jr., Class of 1941.
  • William Atkinson Jones, III, Class of 1945.
  • Samuel S. Coursen, Class of 1949.
  • Richard Thomas Shea, Jr., Class of 1952.
  • Andre Cavaro Lucas, Class of 1954.
  • Humbert Roque Versace, Class of 1959.
  • Frank S. Reasoner[2][3], Class of 1962. Vietnam.
  • Robert F. Foley, Class of 1963.
  • Paul William Bucha, Class of 1965.

[edit] Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

[edit] Congressional Gold Medal recipients

[edit] Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipients

[edit] Law Enforcement and Intelligence

George Washington Goethals,Class of 1880
George Washington Goethals,Class of 1880
Hap Arnold, Class of 1907
Hap Arnold, Class of 1907

[edit] Engineers and Inventors

  • George Bomford, Class of 1805. Inventor of ordnance and explosives; standardized army usage as Chief of the Ordnance Department.
  • Charles Gratiot, Class of 1806, Chief Engineer, War of 1812.
  • John James Abert, Class of 1811. Head topographer for the U.S. Army; his officers mapped the American West under his supervision.
  • Benjamin Bonneville, Class of 1815. Organized expedition that explored the Great Salt Lake, crossed the Sierras, found the headwaters of the Yellowstone and discovered the Humboldt River.
  • George Washington Whistler, Class of 1819. Invented contour lines on maps. Father of James McNeill Whistler, the artist. Husband of "Whistler's Mother"
  • Robert Parker Parrott, Class of 1824. Invented the Parrott rifle used extensively during the American Civil War.
  • Henry DuPont, Class of 1833. Improved the production of gunpowder. Chemicals industry pioneer.
  • Herman Haupt, Class of 1835. Head of the United States Military Railroad during the American Civil War.
  • John W. Gunnison, Class of 1837. Supervised one of the Pacific Railroad surveys in 1853. Gunnison, Colorado is named in his honor.
  • Horatio Wright, Class of 1841. Union general during the American Civil War.
  • John Parke, Class of 1849. Participated in the Pacific Railroad surveys in 1853. Chief surveyor who delineated the boundary between northwestern United States and British North America. Union army general during the American Civil War. Superintendent of West Point.
  • Rufus Saxton, Class of 1849. Participated in the Pacific Railroad surveys in 1853. Union Army general during the American Civil War.
  • Governor K. Warren, Class of 1850. Union army general and Chief of Engineers of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.
  • Thomas Lincoln Casey, Class of 1852. Chief of Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers.
  • General Hugh J. Casey, Class of 1918.Chief Engineer Pacific Theater WWII, Designer of the Pentagon,invented "Casey's cookies"improvised explosive weapons Bataan 1942, Authored "The Engineers of the Southwest Pacific, 1941-1945"

see: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/hjcasey.htm

  • William W. Averell, Class of 1855. Inventor of asphalt.
  • John W. Barlow, Class of 1861. Explored around Yellowstone. Chief of Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers
  • David Porter Heap, Class of 1864. Engineer and author who built harbor fortifications and lighthouses.
  • Henry Dunwoody, Class of 1866. Invented the crystal radio receiver.
  • George Washington Goethals, Class of 1880. Chief engineer of the Panama Canal.
  • John Wilson Ruckman, Class of 1883. Inventor of artillery devices critical in WWI.
  • George O. Squier, Class of 1887. Developer of Muzak. Early radio engineer.
  • Leslie Groves, Class of 1918. Chief engineer for the Manhattan Project and the Pentagon

[edit] Scientists, Mathematicians, and Physicians

[edit] Aviation pioneers

  • Thomas Selfridge, Class of 1903. The first person to die in a crash of a powered airplane.
  • Henry H. Arnold, Class of 1907. Head of the Army Air Force in World War II.

[edit] Astronauts

Ed White, Class of 1952
Ed White, Class of 1952
William MacArthur, Class of 1973
William MacArthur, Class of 1973

[edit] Educators

Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808
Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808
Dennis Hart Mahan, Class of 1824
Dennis Hart Mahan, Class of 1824

[edit] Authors

[edit] Business Executives and Entrepenuers

Henry du Pont, Class of 1861
Henry du Pont, Class of 1861
  • Henry A. du Pont, Class of 1861. President & general manager of Wilmington & Western Railroad (1879-1899)
  • William T. Seawell, Class of 1941. Chairman & CEO Pan Am Airways (1971-1981)
  • Robert F. McDermott, Class of 1943. Former Chairman & CEO of United Services Automobile Association (USAA).
  • Rueben Pomerantz, Class of 1946. President of Holiday Inns of America (1969-1972)
  • Frank Borman, Class of 1950. President Eastern Airlines (1975-1986)
  • Randolph V. Araskog, Class of 1953. President, Chairman, CEO of ITT Communications.
  • Dana Mead, Class of 1957. Chairman and CEO of Tenneco (1994-1999), Chairman of MIT Corporation (2003-present).
  • Pete Dawkins, Class of 1959. Chairman and CEO of Primerica Financial Services, Vice-Chairman and EVP of Travelers Insurance, and currently Vice-Chairman of The Citigroup Private Bank.
  • Jim Kimsey, Class of 1962. Chairman and co-founder of AOL
  • Marshall Carter, Class of 1962. Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange (2005-Present)
  • Frank Caufield, Co-Founder of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
  • Marshall Larsen, President and CEO of Goodrich Corporation (2001-Present)
  • Bob McDonald, Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble
  • J. Ross Docksey, Class of 1973. Senior corporate attorney of Sonnenschien Nath & Rosenthal, LLP.
  • Albert Dunlap, CEO of Scott Paper and Sunbeam.

[edit] Sports figures

[edit] Athletes

Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, both Class of 1947This image has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on the removal.
Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, both Class of 1947
This image has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on the removal.
  • George S. Patton, Jr., Class of 1909. 1912 Summer Olympics, modern pentathalon, 5th place.
  • P.C. Hains. Class of 1924. 1928 Summer Olympics, modern pentathalon.
  • Doc Blanchard, Class of 1947. Heisman Trophy and Sullivan Award winner (1945).
  • Glenn Woodward Davis, Class of 1947. Heisman Trophy winner (1946).
  • Pete Dawkins, Class of 1959. Heisman Trophy winner (1958).
  • Ronald Zinn, Class of 1962. 1960 and 64 Summer Olympics (walking events).
  • Dan Browne, Class of 1997. 2004 Olympian (Marathon and 10,000m)
  • Lorenzo Smith III, Class of 2000 Olympian (Bobsled, placed 6th)
  • Anita Allen, Class of 2000 Olympian (Modern Pentathlon, 18th)

[edit] Coaches

[edit] Movies and TV


Ambrose Burnside, Class of 1847
Ambrose Burnside, Class of 1847

[edit] Eponyms

[edit] Graduates depicted on currency

[edit] Graduates depicted on postage stamps

  • Alden Partridge, Class of 1806. Appears on 11¢ Great Americans series stamp (1985).
  • Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808. Appears on 9¢ Great Americans series stamp (1985).
  • Jefferson Davis, Class of 1828. Appears on 6¢ Stone Mountain Memorial commemorative stamp (1970), 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995) and eight Confederate stamps.
  • Joseph E. Johnston, Class of 1829. Appears on 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995)
  • Robert E. Lee, Class of 1829. Appears on 4¢ Army commemorative stamp (1937), 30¢ Liberty series stamp (1955 and 1957), 6¢ Stone Mountain Memorial stamp (1970), and 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995).
  • Montgomery Blair, Class of 1835. Appears on 15¢ airmail stamp (1963) and on one Belgian stamp.
  • William Tecumseh Sherman, Class of 1840. Appears on 8¢ stamps (1893 and 1895), 3¢ Army commemorative stamp (1937), 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995), and on stamps from Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
  • Ulysses S. Grant, Class of 1843. Appears on 5¢ stamps (1890, 1895, 1898), 4¢ stamp (1903), 8¢ stamp (1922), 3¢ Army commemorative stamp (1937), 18¢ Presidential series stamp (1938), 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995).
  • Winfield Scott Hancock, Class of 1844. Appears on 32¢ Civil War commemorative stamp (1995).
  • Stonewall Jackson, Class of 1846. Appears on 4¢ Army commemorative stamp (1937) and 6¢ Stone Mountain Memorial stamp (1970).
  • Phillip Sheridan, Class of 1853. Appears on 3¢ Army commemorative stamp (1937)
  • George Washington Goethals, Class of 1880. Appears on 3¢ Panama Canal commemorative stamp (1939) and on stamps issued for the Panama Canal Zone.
  • John J. Pershing, Class of 1886. Appears on 8¢ Liberty series stamp (1961) and on French stamps.
  • John L. Hines, Class of 1891. Appears on 33¢ Distinguished Soldiers commemorative stamp (2000).
  • Douglas MacArthur, Class of 1903. Appears on 6¢ commemorative stamp (1971) and on stamps from Korea and the Philippines.
  • Joseph Stilwell, Class of 1904. Appears on 10¢ Distinguished Americans series stamp (2000).
  • Henry H. Arnold, Class of 1907. Appears on 65¢ Great Americans series stamp (1988).
  • George S. Patton Jr., Class of 1909. Appears on 3¢ commemorative stamp (1953) and on stamps from Belgium and Luxembourg.
  • Omar Bradley, Class of 1915. Appears on 33¢ Distinguished Soldiers commemorative stamp (2000)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower, Class of 1915. Appears on 6¢ commemorative stamp (1969), 6¢ (1970) and 8¢ (1971) Prominent Americans series stamps, and on stamps of other countries.
  • Frank Borman, Class of 1950. Appears on ten stamps of Haiti, Hungary, and Senegal.
  • Fidel V. Ramos, Class of 1950. Appears on numerous Philippine Stamps since 1990s
  • Buzz Aldrin, Class of 1951. Appears on foreign stamps.

[edit] Graduates as Time Magazine's Person of the Year

[edit] Graduates listed by graduation year

[edit] See also

Superintendents of the United States Military Academy

[edit] External links

In other languages