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List of United States Military Academy alumni

The United States Military Academy (USMA) is an undergraduate college in West Point, New York with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Army. The academy was founded in 1802 and is the oldest of the United States' five service academies. It is also referred to as West Point (the name of the military base that the academy is a part of). The academy graduated its first cadet, Joseph Gardner Swift, in October 1802. Sports media refer to the academy as "Army" and the students as "Cadets"; this usage is officially endorsed. The football team is also known as "The Black Knights of the Hudson" and "The Black Knights". A small number of graduates each year choose the option of cross-commissioning into the United States Air Force, United States Navy, or the United States Marine Corps. Before the founding of the United States Air Force Academy in 1955, the academy was a major source of officers for the Air Force and its predecessors. Most cadets are admitted through the congressional appointment system. The curriculum emphasizes the sciences and engineering fields.

The list is drawn from graduates, non-graduate former cadets, current cadets, and faculty of the Military Academy. Notable graduates include 2 American Presidents, 4 additional heads of state, 20 astronauts, 76 Medal of Honor recipients (more than any other service academy or undergraduate institution), 70 Rhodes Scholars, and 3 Heisman Trophy winners. Among American universities, the academy is fourth on the list of total winners for Rhodes Scholarships, seventh for Marshall Scholarships and fourth on the list of Hertz Fellowships.

"Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early. For example, there were two classes in 1943 – January 1943 and June 1943.

Academia

Superintendents of the United States Military Academy

Commandants of the United States Military Academy

Superintendents of the United States Air Force Academy

Commandant of Cadets of the United States Air Force Academy

Top-ranking graduates

Astronauts

Note: "Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, in times of war, classes often graduate early.

Authors

This a new list that requires significant work to be remotely complete. New, accurate, contributions are welcome and needed.

Businesspeople

  • Henry A. du Pont, class of 1861, President and general manager of Wilmington & Western Railroad (1879–1899)
  • Robert E. Wood, class of 1900, chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck (1939–1954); responsible for shifting the company's focus from a mail-order catalog company to a department store retailer; started AllState Insurance as a subsidiary of Sears; served as the Quartermaster of the Army in World War I and as chief quartermaster during the construction of the Panama Canal
  • William T. Seawell, class of 1941, chairman and CEO of Pan Am Airways (1971–1981)
  • Robert F. McDermott, class of 1943, former chairman and CEO of United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
  • John F. Donahue, class of 1946, founder and Chairman of Federated Investors ($400 billion asset management firm)
  • Frank Borman, class of 1950, President of Eastern Airlines (1975–1986)
  • Walter F. Ulmer, class of 1952, President and CEO of Center for Creative Leadership (1985–1994)
  • Rand Araskog, class of 1953, President, chairman, and CEO of ITT Communications
  • Dana G. Mead, class of 1957, chairman and CEO of Tenneco (1994–1999), Chairman of MIT Corporation (since 2003)
  • Pete Dawkins, class of 1959, former chairman and CEO of Primerica Financial Services, Vice-chairman and EVP of Travelers Insurance, Vice Chairman of Bain and Company, Vice Chairman of Citi Global Wealth Management, currently Senior Partner at Flintlock Capital
  • Fred Malek, class of 1959, founder and Chairman of Thayer Capital Partners, Chairman of Northwest Airlines
  • Frank J. Caufield, co-founder of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
  • Albert Dunlap, class of 1960, CEO of Scott Paper and Sunbeam
  • Jim Kimsey, class of 1962, chairman and co-founder of AOL
  • Daniel W. Christman, class of 1965, Superintendent of USMA, 1996–2001; Chairman of Ultralife Corporation, SVP of International Affairs for US Chamber of Commerce (since 2003)
  • John B. Ritch III, class of 1965, chairman and co-founder of Calivita International (since 1992)
  • William P. Foley II, class of 1967, former CEO and current Chairman of Fidelity National Information Services
  • Marshall Larsen, class of 1970, chairman and CEO of Goodrich, Corporation (since 2003)
  • Bob McDonald, class of 1975, CEO of Procter & Gamble
  • Ken Hicks, class of 1974, President and CEO of Foot Locker, former President of JCPenney
  • William Albrecht, class of 1974, President of Occidental Oil and Gas
  • Vincent Viola, class of 1977, former Chairman of NYMEX (2001–2004), CEO of Virtu Financial, owner and member of Chairman's Council of the New Jersey Nets
  • Keith McLoughlin, class of 1978, President and CEO of Electrolux
  • Alex Gorsky, class of 1982, CEO of Johnson & Johnson
  • Mark Green, class of 1986, founder and former CEO of Align MD
  • Anthony J. Guzzi, class of 1986, President and CEO of EMCOR Group, Inc., the world's largest specialty construction, facilities services, energy infrastructure provider and a Fortune 500 company
  • David McCormick, class of 1987, CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds, from 2020 to 2022. Named president of FreeMarkets in 2001 and was named chief executive officer in 2002; he successfully sold FreeMarkets to Ariba in 2004 for approximately $500 million.
  • Mark Clouse, class of 1990, President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company
  • Anthony Noto, class of 1991, former CFO and COO of Twitter and current CEO of SoFi
  • John Ham, class of 2000, Ustream Founder, CEO and Chairman
  • Brad Hunstable, class of 2001, founder and President of Ustream.TV

Engineers

Government

Heads of state or government

Directors of the Central Intelligence Agency

  • Hoyt Vandenberg, class of 1923, DCI 10 June 1946 – 1 May 1947
  • David Petraeus, class of 1974, DCIA 6 September 2011 – 9 November 2012
  • Mike Pompeo, class of 1986, DCIA 23 January 2017 – 26 April 2018 (became United States Secretary of State)

Cabinet members

Secretaries of the Army

Ambassadors

  • Andrew J. Donelson, class of 1820, Chargé d'affaires of the United States to the Republic of Texas (1845), U.S. Minister to Prussia (1846–49), U.S. vice presidential candidate (1856)
  • Rufus King, class of 1833, U.S. Minister to the Papal States (1863–1867)
  • William Woods Averell, class of 1855, U.S. Consul General to British North America (1866–1869)
  • Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, class of 1856, U.S. Minister to Chile, 1866–70, 1881
  • Frederick Dent Grant, class of 1871, U.S. Minister to Austro-Hungarian Empire (1890–1893)
  • James Maurice Gavin, class of 1929, U.S. Ambassador to France (1961–62)
  • John Eisenhower, class of 1944, U.S. Ambassador to Belgium (1969–1971)
  • David Manker Abshire, class of 1951, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (1983–1987)
  • John Galvin, class of 1954, U.S. Ambassador to Bosnian Peace Negotiations
  • Jim Nicholson, class of 1961, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican (2001–2005)
  • John B. Ritch III, class of 1965, U.S. Ambassador to United Nations International Organizations in Vienna (1993–2001)
  • Robert M. Kimmitt, class of 1969, U.S. Ambassador to Germany (1991–1993)
  • William B. Taylor Jr., class of 1969, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (2006–2009, 2019–2020)
  • John Abizaid, class of 1973, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2019-2021)
  • Karl Eikenberry, class of 1973, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (2009–2011)
  • Matthew Klimow, class of 1974, U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan (2019–present), acting State Department Inspector General (2020)
  • Douglas Lute, class of 1975, U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2013-2017)

Governors (civil)

Governors (military)

Legislators

  • Daniel Azro Ashley Buck, class of 1808, U.S. Representative (1823–1825, 1827–1829), Vermont
  • Daniel Tunern, class of 1814, U.S. Representative, North Carolina (1827–1829)
  • James Monroe, class of 1815, U.S. Representative (1839–1841), New York
  • George Wurtz Hughes, class of 1827, U.S. Representative (1859–1861), Maryland
  • Jefferson Davis, class of 1828, U.S. Representative (1845–1846) and Senator (1847–1853, elected but not seated 1875), Mississippi
  • Joseph E. Johnston, class of 1829, U.S. Representative, Virginia
  • Henry Bell Van Rensselaer, class of 1831, U.S. Representative, New York
  • Robert Milligan McLane, class of 1837, U.S. Representative, Maryland
  • John B. S. Todd, class of 1837, U.S. Congressman, Dakota Territory (1861–1863, 1864–1865)
  • James Madison Leach, class of 1838, U.S. Representative, North Carolina
  • Isaac Ingalls Stevens, class of 1839, U.S. Representative, Washington Territory
  • Egbert Ludoricus Viele, class of 1847, U.S. Representative, New York
  • Ambrose Burnside, class of 1847, U.S. Senator, Rhode Island (1875–1881)
  • Henry Warner Slocum, class of 1852, U.S. Representative, New York (1869–1873, 1883–1884)
  • Henry A. du Pont, class of 1861, U.S. Senator, Delaware (1895–1896, 1906–1917)
  • Joseph Wheeler, class of 1859, U.S. Representative, Alabama (1881–1882, 1883, 1885–1900)
  • Frank Obadiah Briggs, class of 1872, U.S. Senator, New Jersey
  • Jesse Matlack Baker, class of 1873, Pennsylvania State Representative (1889-1892) and State Senator (1893-1897)
  • Lawrence D. Tyson, class of 1883, U.S. Senator, Tennessee (1925–1929)
  • Bertram Tracy Clayton, class of 1886, U.S. Representative, New York (1899–1901)
  • Charles Henry Martin, class of 1887, U.S. Representative, Oregon
  • Butler Ames, class of 1894, U.S. Representative, Massachusetts
  • Frank Kowalski, class of 1930, U.S. Representative from Connecticut
  • Nile Soik, class of 1945, member of the Wisconsin State Legislature
  • Howard Hollis Callaway, class of 1949, U.S. Representative, Georgia (1965-1967)
  • John Michael Murphy, class of 1950, U.S. Representative, New York (1963-1981)
  • Adam Benjamin Jr., class of 1958, U.S. Representative, Indiana (1977–82)
  • Jack Reed, class of 1971, U.S. Representative (1991–1997), U.S. Senator (1997- ), Rhode Island
  • John Shimkus, class of 1980, U.S. Representative, Illinois (1997– 2021)
  • Geoff Davis, class of 1981, U.S. Representative, Kentucky (2004– 2012)
  • Mike Pompeo, class of 1986, U.S. Representative, Kansas (2011–2017)
  • Mark Green, class of 1986, U.S. Representative, Tennessee (2019–2025)
  • Brett Guthrie, class of 1987, U.S. Representative, Kentucky (2009– )
  • Warren Davidson, class of 1995, U.S. Representative, Ohio (2016– )
  • Steve Watkins, class of 1999, U.S. Representative, Kansas (2019–2021)
  • Pat Ryan, class of 2004, U.S. Representative, New York (2022– )
  • John James, class of 2004, U.S. Representative, Michigan (2023–)
  • Wesley Hunt, class of 2004, U.S. Representative, Texas (2023–)
  • Matt Van Epps, class of 2005, U.S. Representative, Tennessee (2025-)

Mayors

Jurists

Law enforcement and intelligence figures

Literary figures and actors

Military figures

Medal of Honor recipients

Civil War

Indian Wars

Spanish–American War

Philippine–American War

Boxer Rebellion

Mexican Campaign (Veracruz)

World War I

World War II

Korea

Vietnam

Mexican–American War combatants

American Civil War combatants

Confederate States Army generals

Union Army generals

Indian Wars combatants and Buffalo Soldiers

Spanish–American War and Philippine Insurrection combatants

Pancho Villa Expedition combatants

World War I combatants

World War II combatants

Note: "Class year" refers to the alumni's class year, which usually is the same year they graduated. However, due to the war in Europe, the Class of 1943 graduated early, in January '43, becoming the only class to do so.

Korean War combatants

Vietnam War combatants

Gulf War combatants

War on Terror

Participants

Afghanistan combatants

Iraq combatants

Five-Star Generals

Commanders of United States Central Command

Supreme Allied Commanders of NATO

Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Army Chiefs of Staff/Commanders of the Army

  • George B. McClellan, class of 1846, Commanding General of the Army (1861–1862)
  • Henry Wager Halleck, class of 1839, Commanding General of the Army (1862–1864)
  • Ulysses S. Grant, class of 1843, Commanding General of the Army (1864–1869)
  • William Tecumseh Sherman, class of 1840, Commanding General of the Army (1869–1883)
  • Philip Sheridan, class of 1853, Commanding General of the Army (1883–1888)
  • John Schofield, class of 1853, Commanding General of the Army (1888–1895)
  • J. Franklin Bell, class of 1878, 4th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1906–1910)
  • Hugh L. Scott, class of 1876, 7th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1914–1917)
  • Tasker H. Bliss, class of 1875, 8th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1917–1918)
  • Peyton C. March, class of 1888, 9th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1918–1921)
  • John Pershing, class of 1886, 10th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1921–1924)
  • John L. Hines, class of 1891, 11th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1924–1926)
  • Charles Pelot Summerall, class of 1892, 12th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1926–1930)
  • Douglas MacArthur, class of 1903, 13th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1930–1935)
  • Malin Craig, class of 1898, 14th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1935–1939)
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower, class of 1915, 16th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1945–1948)
  • Omar Bradley, class of 1915, 17th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1948–1949)
  • J. Lawton Collins, class of 1917, 18th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1949–1953)
  • Matthew Ridgway, class of 1917, 19th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1953–1955)
  • Maxwell D. Taylor, class of 1922, 20th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1955–1959)
  • Lyman Lemnitzer, class of 1920, 21st U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1959–1960)
  • Earle Wheeler, class of 1932, 23rd U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1962–1964)
  • Harold Keith Johnson, class of 1933, 24th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1964–1968)
  • William Westmoreland, class of 1936, 25th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1968–1972)
  • Bruce Palmer Jr., class of 1936, Acting U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1972)
  • Creighton Abrams, class of 1936, 26th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1972–1974)
  • Bernard W. Rogers, class of 1943, 28th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1976–1979)
  • Edward C. Meyer, class of 1951, 29th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1979–1983)
  • John Wickham, class of 1950, 30th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1983–1987)
  • Carl E. Vuono, class of 1957, 31st U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1987–1991)
  • Dennis Reimer, class of 1962, 33rd U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1995–1999)
  • Eric Shinseki, class of 1965, 34th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1999–2003)
  • Martin E. Dempsey, class of 1974, 37th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (2011)
  • Raymond T. Odierno, class of 1976, 38th U.S. Army Chief of Staff (2011–2015)
  • James C. McConville, class of 1981, 40th US. Army Chief of Staff (2019–2023)
  • Randy A. George, class of 1988, 41st U.S. Army Chief of Staff (2023-present)

Chiefs of the National Guard Bureau / Chiefs of the Militia Bureau

  • Erasmus M. Weaver Jr., class of 1875, 1st Chief of the Militia Bureau (1908-1911)
  • Robert K. Evans, class of 1875, 2nd Chief of the Militia Bureau (1911-1912)
  • Albert Leopold Mills, class of 1879, 3rd Chief of the Militia Bureau (1912-1916), Medal of Honor recipient in the Spanish-American War (Battle of San Juan Hill)
  • George W. McIver, class of 1882, acting Chief of the Militia Bureau (September–October 1916)
  • William Abram Mann, class of 1875, 4th Chief of the Militia Bureau (1916-1917)
  • Jesse McI. Carter, class of 1886, 5th Chief of the Militia Bureau (1917-1918 and 1919-1921)
  • John W. Heavey, class of 1891, acting Chief of the Militia Bureau (1918-1919)
  • Donald W. McGowan, attended 1919-1922, 16th Chief of the National Guard Bureau (1959-1963)
  • Raymond F. Rees, class of 1966, acting Chief of the National Guard Bureau (August–September 1994 and 2002-2003)
  • Daniel R. Hokanson, class of 1986, 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau (2020–present)

Chiefs of the Army Corps of Engineers

The Chief of Engineers also commands the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Chief of Engineers leads a major Army command that is the world's largest public engineering, design, and construction management agency.

Air Force Chiefs of Staff

Chief of Staff of non-American armed forces

Presidential and Congressional awardees

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients

Congressional Gold Medal recipients

Congressional Space Medal of Honor recipients

Religious figures

Scientists, inventors, and physicians

Graduates involved with the Manhattan Project

Sportspeople

Athletes

Coaches

Television and movie figures

Eponyms

Places named for graduates

Graduates depicted on currency

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 the 1990s
  • Buzz Aldrin, class of 1951, appears on foreign stamps

Graduates selected as Time Magazines "Person of the Year"

Other

Non-graduates

As these alumni did not graduate, their class year represents the year they would have graduated if they had completed their education at the Academy.

Notes

References

General references
Inline citations

External links