Academy trained military engineers

By Steve Grove
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

Mathematics and science courses provided the background for the study of engineering. The academic program that resulted ultimately became known as the ‘‘Thayer System.’’

Named after Sylvanus Thayer, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 1817-1833, it consisted of an innovative approach to studying those required subjects. Courses were taught in small classes, with daily recitations, and cadets were required to pass all courses to graduate.

Since no other institution in America offered engineering instruction before the 1820s, the academy became the first, and soon, the preeminent engineering school in the nation. Many graduates used their engineering background to benefit the nation in the decades before the Civil War. Graduates were responsible for construction of many of the nation’s initial railroad lines, harbors, bridges and roads.

Although heavily based in technical fields, West Point’s academic program was not limited to those areas. The instruction and training were broad enough to enable graduates to make significant contributions, in junior leadership positions, in the Mexican War and in senior leadership positions in the Civil War. The contribution of West Pointers was so profound during the Civil War that, for decades thereafter, the institution began to rest on its laurels.

Rather than being attentive to educational and technological advances, the academy lost its standing. Though there were some advances in expanding physical fitness requirements for cadets, the curriculum remained tied to its traditional offerings.

Following the end of World War I, Douglas MacArthur became superintendent and tried to improve the institution in a variety of ways. He sought to expand the academic program to include behavioral and social sciences to better enable graduates to deal with complexities of the modern world. He had little success during his tenure, but many of his innovations were adopted by subsequent superintendents.

Indeed, the introduction of the study of human psychology to the curriculum was made at the direction of Army Chief of Staff Dwight Eisenhower after World War II.

In recent decades, the academic program has moved from a rather narrowly prescribed curriculum to one offering opportunities for individual choice, with the introduction of electives in the 1960s. It then evolved into a balanced curriculum that includes a strong program of study in the humanities, public affairs, math, science and engineering.

Cadets in the Class of 1985 were the first given the opportunity to select an academic major. This change enables cadets to concentrate on those areas of individual strength and interest while still receiving a substantial core curriculum. The introduction of personal computers in 1986 has led to the full integration of the Corps of Cadets with the Internet.

The academy’s modern course of study provides a solid foundation that will enable graduates to address the multitude of demands of the next century. In that way, the academic program helps cadets continue to be leaders of character and serve the needs of our army and nation.

Steve Grove is historian at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.