The common reaction to any change to life at West Point, has always been, "The Corps Has." The meaning of the phrase depends on the tone of voice and the circumstance under which it is uttered. It can mean that all has gone to Hades, usually uttered in jest, or that some irretrievable change has taken place that nothing at all can restore the status quo. To most of us, I surmise, the Corps may well be at a point where the prior state will never be restored.

During our 45^th reunion, we heard the Superintendent go over the events of a normal day in the life of a cadet. The description given contained some elements that surprised many of us. Dinner formation is optional now; you can choose to send out for Pizza or for Chinese or Mexican, and it will be delivered. Cadets are no longer ranked in order of general merit; they really cannot, as they do not take the same courses. When we were cadets we all took exactly the same courses, with the exception of language, the War Department mandated as to who took what language. We indicated a choice but did not always realize it. The big change, of course, is that there are female cadets now. That has also brought other changes. An article in the Assembly chronicled the life of one graduate who went into Nursing and of course we have more recently read about a cadet being charged with, and court-martialed for rape of a female cadet. Though the cadet in question was acquitted, the case brought out circumstances that indicate that the Corps Has; at least, so it seems to this writer. So if the American public is beginning to raise questions about the continued need for West Point, and all the service academies for that matter, perhaps there is a need to review the history of the Long Gray Line.

But there are some great changes too. Two coincident events in the news got my attention. Bill Gates in his effort to gain the American public’s understanding for Microsoft’s contribution to the Quality of Life ends his infomercial thusly; “…the best is yet to come.”  The other event was the report on the diverse views of the life of Cadets at West Point, which reads in part, ”The transformation of cadet life due to the evolution of computers and information technology was a prevalent theme. A tactical officer said that the biggest difference he sees in cadets now is the "overall situational awareness of what is going on."

Because of their access to the Internet, television, and telephones, they readily seek information and can easily get it without even leaving their rooms. One instructor said that academics used to be a lot simpler. Before computers, information was usually spread by word of mouth. Today, it's passed through e-mail. She stated that although it's more efficient, the volume has increased exponentially and cadets are required to filter a tremendous amount of information daily. Cadets today are "responsible for grasping many more skills related to communication and presentation. "Another instructor said, "With the advancing technologies, we constantly attempt to improve the courses and demand more out of the cadets than we should." More is expected of the cadets sooner. He went on to say that many of the departments are "brutally tasking" the cadets. (My thoughts on this, “Is the Distance University around the corner? At West Point?)

The Founder of West Point was George Washington who having commanded the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War saw and documented the need for military leaders trained in the art of war and military engineering. In the last letter he ever penned, two days before his death, on December 1, 1799 George Washington stated, " the establishment of such an institution has ever been considered by me as an object of primary importance to this country." Then on May 12, 1801, the Secretary of War wrote to the Commander of the Army, "The President (Thomas Jefferson) has decided on the immediate establishment of a military school at West Point, with Major Jonathan Williams to direct the necessary arrangements for the commencement of the school." Finally, on March 16, 1802 the Congress passed an Act establishing a "Corps of Engineers" to include ten cadets at West Point constituting the Military Academy. It remained for President James Monroe ten years later to appoint brevet Major Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808, as Superintendent. Thayer continued as such until 1833 and established the pedagogical system and a code simple, pure, and broad, upon whose principles West Point has existed all these many years. Thayer modeled the school on the lines of the famous Ecole Polytechnic of France, and the simple basic principles of Duty, Honor, and Country. However, Dennis Hart Mahan provided the leadership in establishing West Point as "the first systematic study of science in the United States," as Henry Adams would put it many years later, that is the first engineering school in the United States.

So now, having passed the two hundredth anniversary of its establishment, questions are being asked about the efficacy of the institution, an institution that has served us well. The men of the Class of 1951 have made their contribution to our national progress, one that has been through a series of conflicts, both military and civilian. Interestingly enough, is the fact that West Pointers, though trained in one basic objective; leadership, have so frequently been called upon to employ that talent in specialist channels, and have done this so successfully.

One of our great men, Douglas MacArthur, has stated, " it is not to say that the product of any other institution is not the equal of that from West Point in intelligence, ability, and basic worth. The Army's long list of brilliant leaders that have risen from the ranks or have been commissioned from other universities is proof sufficient of the quality of leadership obtained through those channels. But it is, nevertheless, an accepted fact that West Point imparts to the young man during his formative years an enduring respect for ideals of service and standards of conduct not so continuously and insistently stressed elsewhere."

In the process of preparing the White Paper on The Mission of the United States Military Academy, we have learned that there has been a lot of change at West Point in the last 50 years. It is our fervent hope that the findings, coordinated by three members of the Class of 1951, will be faithfully received and carefully analyzed by the American people and a rational response implemented.

The record needs to be examined and this examination needs to be done methodically. A cost/benefit analysis will just not do. A team of multi-disciplined scholars needs to address this issue. If any single recommendation issues forth from my examination of how well I and my classmates have done as members of the Long Grey Line, it is that the Congress authorize an in depth systems approach study to determine what if any changes should be made to Service Academies of this Country.

Dr. José Andrés Chacón, Ex-Adjunct Professor, Anderson Schools of Management, University of New Mexico. Member Class of 1951, USMA, Cullum 18250 - Author of this E-Book.

Class Comments Follow:

Sel Graham - The most drastic changes between cadets of the Class of 1951 and cadets of my grandson's Class of 2008 are:

No restrictions to the post (current cadets, including plebes, can leave the post on weekends);
No core academic knowledge (current cadets take all manner of subjects in class);
No meal formations (meals in Washington Hall are optional except for one night a week).
"Harvard-in-uniform" may be an apt description.

Jerry Carlson, Joe Clarke, Fred Denham, Marie Foss, Clint Granger, George Harmon, Fred Henney, Bob Howes, Larry Mintz, Frank Sisson, Joe Sites, and Bill Spence sent "congratulatory" type comments, such as "Thanks for your superb efforts and creativity in piecing together this history of '51." from Chuck Satuloff.