United States Military Academy
U.S. Army's service academy in West Point, New York / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army,[8] is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. It is the oldest of the five American service academies and educates cadets for commissioning into the United States Army.
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| Motto | Duty • Honor • Country[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. Service Academy |
| Established | 16 March 1802; 221 years ago (1802-03-16)[2] |
| Endowment | $422 million (2022)[3] |
| Superintendent | Lieutenant general Steven W. Gilland |
| Dean | Brigadier general Shane R. Reeves[4] |
| Commandant of Cadets | Brigadier general Lori L. Robinson[5] |
Academic staff | 580 |
| Students | 4,294 cadets[6] |
| Location | , New York , United States |
| Campus | Rural – 16,080 acres (6,507.3 ha) |
| Fight song | On, Brave Old Army Team |
| Colors | Black, gold, and gray[7] |
| Nickname | Black Knights |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division I – PL AHA CSFL EIGL EIWA |
| Mascot | Mule |
| Website | westpoint |
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United States Military Academy | |
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| Coordinates | 41°23′35″N 73°57′29″W |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000562 |
| NYSRHP No. | 07103.000261 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 15 October 1966 |
| Designated NHL | 19 December 1960 |
| Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980 |
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Candidates for admission must apply directly to the academy and receive a nomination, usually from a member of Congress. Other nomination sources include the president and vice president.[9] Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as "cadets" or collectively as the "United States Corps of Cadets" (USCC). The Army fully funds tuition for cadets in exchange for an active duty service obligation upon graduation. About 1,300 cadets enter the academy each July, with about 1,000 cadets graduating. The academic program grants a Bachelor of Science degree with a curriculum that grades cadets' performance upon a broad academic program, military leadership performance, and mandatory participation in competitive athletics.
The academy's traditions have influenced other institutions because of its age and unique mission. It was the first American college to have an accredited civil engineering program and the first to have class rings, and its technical curriculum became a model for engineering schools. West Point's student body has a unique rank structure and lexicon. The academy fields 15 men's and nine women's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports teams. Cadets compete in one sport every fall, winter, and spring season at the intramural, club, or intercollegiate level. Its football team was a national power in the early and mid-20th century, winning three national championships. Among the country's public institutions, the academy is the top producer of Marshall and Rhodes scholars.[10][11] Its alumni and students are collectively referred to as "The Long Gray Line," the former include: U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant; Confederate President Jefferson Davis; Confederate general Robert E. Lee; American poet Edgar Allen Poe; U.S. generals Douglas MacArthur and George Patton; presidents of Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Philippines; and 76 Medal of Honor recipients.
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