Superintendents of The United States Military Academy - Superintendents

Superintendents

Note: "Class year" refers to the alumnus's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early.
A "—" in the Class year column indicates a Superintendent who is not an alumnus of the Academy.
# Start End Name Class year Notability References
1 1801 1803 Williams, JonathanJonathan Williams — Colonel; Chief of Engineers; he vacated (rather than resigned) in June 1803, returning to the Superintendency in April 1805; elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress in 1815
1.5 !(acting) 1803 1805 Wadsworth, DeciusDecius Wadsworth — Colonel; invented Wadsworth's cipher in 1817
2 1805 1812 Williams, JonathanJonathan Williams — Colonel; Chief of Engineers; he vacated (rather than resigned) in June 1803, returning to the Superintendency in April 1805; elected to the Fourteenth United States Congress in 1815
3 1812 1814 Swift, Joseph GardnerJoseph Gardner Swift 1802 Brigadier General; first graduate of the Academy; Chief of Engineers a
4 1814 1817 Partridge, AldenAlden Partridge 1806 Captain; served as Acting Superintendent and Dean of Mathematics; his administration was regarded as unsatisfactory and negligent to duties; when Sylvanus Thayer was appointed, Partridge refused to relinquish command and was court-martialed; he was sentenced to be cashiered in November 1817, and resigned from the Army in April 1818 a
5 1817 1833 Thayer, SylvanusSylvanus Thayer 1808 Brigadier General; "Father of West Point"; emphasized engineering; founded engineering schools; helped found the Academy's Association of Graduates; Sylvanus Thayer Award created by the Academy in his honor a
6 1833 1838 De Russy, René EdwardRené Edward De Russy 1812 Brigadier General; military engineer; Union Army veteran a
7 1838 1845 Delafield, RichardRichard Delafield 1818 Major General; Chief of Engineers; American Civil War veteran; served as 7th, 11th, and 13th Superintendents a
8 1845 1852 Brewerton, HenryHenry Brewerton 1819 Brigadier General; military engineer; Union Army veteran a
9 1852 1855 Lee, Robert E.Robert E. Lee 1829 Colonel USA, General CSA; graduated second in his class at the Academy, without demerits; son George Washington Custis Lee, class of 1854, graduated second in class; Commander, Army of Northern Virginia (1862–1865); General-in-Chief, Confederate States Army (1865); President, Washington and Lee University (1865–1870) a
10 1855 1856 Barnard, John GrossJohn Gross Barnard 1833 Major General; military engineer; Union Army veteran a
11 1856 1861 Delafield, RichardRichard Delafield 1818 Major General; Chief of Engineers; Union Army veteran; served as 7th, 11th, and 13th Superintendents a
12 1861 1861 Beauregard, Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.)Pierre Gustave Toutant (P.G.T.) Beauregard 1838 General CSA; military engineer; ordered the firing of shots at Fort Sumter, South Carolina that started the Civil War a
13 1861 1861 Delafield, RichardRichard Delafield 1818 Major General; Chief of Engineers; Union Army veteran; served as 7th, 11th, and 13th Superintendents a
14 1861 1864 Bowman, Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton Bowman 1825 Lieutenant Colonel; military engineer; son Charles Stuart Bowman graduated from the Academy, class of 1860 a
15 1864 1864 Tower, Zealous BatesZealous Bates Tower 1841 Major General; military engineer; Union Army veteran a
16 1864 1866 Cullum, George WashingtonGeorge Washington Cullum 1833 Brigadier General; military engineer; wrote Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. in 1891 and developed the Cullum number system a
17 1866 1871 Pitcher, Thomas GambleThomas Gamble Pitcher 1845 Brigadier General; veteran of Battle of Harper's Ferry, Mexican–American War, and the Civil War a
18 1871 1876 Ruger, Thomas H.Thomas H. Ruger 1854 Major General; military engineer and lawyer; veteran of Civil War; military engineer and lawyer; military Governor of Georgia (1868) a
19 1876 1881 Schofield, John McAllisterJohn McAllister Schofield 1853 Lieutenant General; recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions leading an attack at the Battle of Wilson's Creek; Superintendent of the Academy (1876–1881); Commanding General of the United States Army (1888–1895) a
20 1881 1882 Howard, Oliver OtisOliver Otis Howard 1854 Major General; recipient of the Medal of Honor for his actions leading an attack at the Battle of Seven Pines despite wound which resulted in the loss of his right arm; led the campaign against Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce tribe; founder of Howard University a
21 1882 1887 Merritt, WesleyWesley Merritt 1860 Major General; veteran of the Civil War and Spanish–American War; first Military Governor of the Philippines a
22 1887 1889 Parke, JohnJohn Parke 1849 Major General; military engineer; Union Army veteran a
23 1889 1893 Wilson, John MoulderJohn Moulder Wilson 1860 Brigadier General; recipient of the Medal of Honor for his for actions at the Battle of Malvern Hill though acutely ill; Chief of Engineers (1897–1901) a
24 1893 1898 Ernst, Oswald HerbertOswald Herbert Ernst 1864 Major General; military engineer; Union Army and Spanish–American War veteran a
25 1898 1906 Mills, Albert LeopoldAlbert Leopold Mills 1879 Major General; recipient of the Medal of Honor for continuing to lead his men at the Battle of San Juan Hill despite being shot in the head and temporarily blinded; appointed Superintendent to West Point by President McKinley, which carried automatic promotion from First Lieutenant to Colonel a
26 1906 1910 Scott, Hugh L.Hugh L. Scott 1876 Major General; learned to speak many western Native American languages; Chief of Staff of the Army (1914–1917) a
27 1910 1912 Barry, Thomas HenryThomas Henry Barry 1877 Major General; cavalry and infantry officer; veteran of Indian Wars, China Relief Expedition, and Philippine–American War a
28 1912 1916 Townsley, Clarence PageClarence Page Townsley 1881 Major General; coastal artillery officer; commanded 30th Infantry Division during World War I a
29 1916 1917 Biddle, JohnJohn Biddle 1881 Major General; military engineer; World War I veteran a
30 1917 1919 Tillman, Samuel EscueSamuel Escue Tillman 1869 Brigadier General; recalled from retirement during World War I to serve as superintendent; refused to add military aviation to the curriculum; instructor at the Academy for more than 30 years; author of numerous books on chemistry and geology a
31 1919 1922 MacArthur, DouglasDouglas MacArthur 1903 General of the Army, Field Marshal in the Philippine Army; United States occupation of Veracruz; Second Battle of the Marne, Battle of Saint-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne Offensive during World War I; commander of the 42nd Infantry Division; brigade commander in the Philippine Division; commander of the Philippine Department; Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1930-1935); recipient of the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle of Bataan, commander of the South West Pacific Area during World War II; Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers during the Occupation of Japan; Korean War; grandson of Wisconsin Governor Arthur MacArthur, Sr.; son of Lieutenant General and Medal of Honor recipient Arthur MacArthur, Jr. a
32 1922 1925 Sladen, Fred WinchesterFred Winchester Sladen 1890 Major General; Superintendent of Fort McHenry National Monument (1931–1932) a
33 1926 1928 Stewart, Merch BradtMerch Bradt Stewart 1896 Brigadier General; infantry officer; Spanish–American War veteran; commander 175th Infantry Brigade during World War I a
34 1928 1928 Winans, Edwin BaruchEdwin Baruch Winans 1891 Major General; instructor at military schools; commened for leadership of the 10th Cavalry Regiment a
35 1929 1932 Smith, William RuthvenWilliam Ruthven Smith 1892 Major General; artillery and infantry officer; commanded 36th Infantry Division during World War I a
36 1932 1938 Connor, William DurwardWilliam Durward Connor 1897 Major General; awarded two Silver Stars; Commandant of Army War College a
37 1938 1940 Benedict, Jay LelandJay Leland Benedict 1904 Major General; artillery and staff officer; Army General Staff during World War II a
38 1940 1942 Eichelberger, Robert L.Robert L. Eichelberger 1909 General; American Expeditionary Force Siberia; commanded Eighth United States Army in World War II a
39 1942 1945 Wilby, Francis BowditchFrancis Bowditch Wilby 1905 Major General; Chief of Staff of First United States Army (1939–1941) a
40 1945 1949 Taylor, Maxwell DavenportMaxwell Davenport Taylor 1922 General; instituted the Cadet Honor Code at the Academy; commander of 101st Airborne Division (1944–1945); Chief of Staff of the Army (1955–1959); Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1962–1964); United States Ambassador to South Vietnam (1964–1965) a
41 1949 1951 Moore, Bryant EdwardBryant Edward Moore 1917 General; commanded 8th Infantry Division killed in a helicopter crash on 24 February 1951 while commanding the IX Corps during the Korean War a
42 1951 1954 Irving, Frederick AugustusFrederick Augustus Irving 1917 Major General; commander 24th Infantry Division during World War II a
43 1954 1956 Bryan, Blackshear M.Blackshear M. Bryan 1922 Lieutenant General; commanded Prisoner of War Division for all the United States during World War II; commanded First United States Army (1957–1960); his son, Blackshear M. Bryan, Jr., class of 1954, was killed in Vietnam a
44 1956 1960 Davidson, Garrison H.Garrison H. Davidson 1927 Lieutenant General; Academy football coach (1933–1937); combat engineer during World War II and the Korean War; helped construct The Pentagon a
45 1960 1963 Westmoreland, WilliamWilliam Westmoreland 1936 General; Distinguished Eagle Scout; given the Pershing Sword for the most able cadet upon graduation from the Academy; commander 101st Airborne Division; commander Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (1964–1968); Chief of Staff of the Army (1968–1972) a
46 1963 1966 Lampert, James BenjaminJames Benjamin Lampert 1936 Lieutenant General; combat engineer during World War II; early pioneer of nuclear weapons and nuclear power, served as General Leslie Groves' executive officer as part of the Manhattan Project after World War II; his father, James G. B. Lampert, class of 1910 was killed in World War I a
47 1966 1969 Bennett, Donald V.Donald V. Bennett 1940 General; Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (1969–1972); commander United States Army Pacific (1972–1974) a
48 1969 1970 Koster, Samuel WilliamSamuel William Koster 1942 Major General but demoted to Brigadier General and denied a promotion to Lieutenant General for covering up the My Lai Massacre a
49 1970 1974 Knowlton, William AllenWilliam Allen Knowlton 1943 General; World War II and Vietnam War veteran; his daughter married General David Petraeus who was a cadet while Knowlton was Superintendent; Chief of Staff for United States European Command (1974–1976) a
50 1974 1977 Berry, Sidney BryanSidney Bryan Berry 1948 Lieutenant General; Korean and Vietnam War veteran, wounded twice in Vietnam; Superintendent during the time women were first admitted to the Academy; Commissioner of Public Safety for the state of Mississippi (1980–1984) a
51 1977 1981 Goodpaster, Andrew JacksonAndrew Jackson Goodpaster 1939 General; 8th Infantry Division (1961–1962); Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (1969–1974); Commander in Chief of the United States European Command (CINCEUR) (1969–1974); retired then became Superintendent, then retired a second time a
52 1981 1986 Scott, Jr., Willard WarrenWillard Warren Scott, Jr. 1948 Lieutenant General; commander 25th Infantry Division (1976–1978); commander V Corps (1980–1981) a
53 1986 1991 Palmer, Dave RichardDave Richard Palmer 1956 Lieutenant General; military historian; instructor at the Academy and the Vietnamese National Military Academy
54 1991 1996 Graves, Howard D.Howard D. Graves 1961 Lieutenant General; Rhodes Scholar; military engineer; Chancellor of Texas A&M University (1999–2003)
55 1996 2001 Christman, Daniel WilliamDaniel William Christman 1965 Lieutenant General; graduated first in his class in 1965; Senior Vice President for International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; four-time recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.
56 2001 2006 Lennox, Jr., William JamesWilliam James Lennox, Jr. 1971 Lieutenant General; artillery and staff officer; Deputy Commanding General Eighth United States Army; doctorate in literature from Princeton University
57 2006 2010 Hagenbeck, Franklin LeeFranklin Lee Hagenbeck 1971 Lieutenant General; commander 10th Mountain Division (2001–2003)
58 2010 2010 !present Huntoon, David H.David H. Huntoon 1973 Lieutenant General; Director of the Army Staff; Former Commandant of the U.S. Army War College

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