A government institution at
West Point, N. Y.; established by act of Congress, March 16, 1802, for the purpose of educating and training young men in the theory and practice of military science, to become officers in the United States army.
Attempts had been made by
Washington in 1793 and 1796 to have Congress establish an institution for this purpose.
Cadets are appointed, one from each congressional district, Territory, and the District of Columbia, by the
Secretary of War, at the request of the
Representative or Delegate in Congress of the district or Territory in which the applicant is an actual resident.
There are also thirty appointments at large, specially conferred by the
President of the
United States.
In 1901 there were three extra cadets at the Academy, who were authorized by Congress to enter it at their own expense, from
Venezuela,
Costa Rica, and
Ecuador.
The Representative may nominate a legally qualified second candidate, to
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be designated the alternate.
The alternate will receive from the War Department a letter of appointment, and will be examined with the regular appointee, and if duly qualified will be admitted to the Academy, in the event of the failure of the principal to pass the prescribed preliminary examinations.
Appointees to the Military Academy must be between seventeen and twenty-two years of age, free from any infirmity which may render them unfit for military service, and able to pass a careful examination in reading,
writing, orthography, arithmetic, grammar, geography, and history of the
United States.
The course of instruction requires four years, and is largely mathematical and professional.
The principal subjects taught are mathematics,
French, drawing, drill regulations of all arms of the service, natural and experimental philosophy, chemistry, chemical physics, mineralogy, geology, and electricity, history, international, constitutional, and military law, Spanish, civil and military engineering, art and science of war, and ordnance and gunnery.
The discipline is very strict, and the enforcement of penalties for offences is inflexible rather than severe.
Examinations are held in each January and June, and cadets deficient in either conduct or studies are discharged.
From about the middle of June to the end of August cadets live in camp, engaged only in military duties and receiving practical military instructions.
Cadets are allowed but one leave of absence during the course, and this is granted at the expiration of the first two years. The pay of a cadet is $540 per year.
The number of students at the academy is usually about 425.
An annual board of visitors is appointed, seven by the
President of the
United States, two by the president of the Senate, and three by the speaker of the House of Representatives.
They visit the academy in June, and are present at the concluding exercises of the graduating class of the year.
The superintendent in 1901 was
Col. Albert L. Mills, U. S. A. (q. v.), and the military and academic staff consisted of seventy-two persons.
Upon graduation, the class is divided by the academic board into three sections of varying and unequal numbers,
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according to class rank; the highest, usually very small, is recommended for appointment in any corps of the army; the second in any corps, excepting the engineers and the third in any corps, excepting engineers and artillery.
Commissions for the rank of second lieutenant are then conferred by the
President, in accordance with these recommendations.
See
Leavenworth, Fort;
Monroe, Fort;
Riley, Fort; and
Willett's Point.
