West Point Graduates, Families, and Friends in the Denver
Region:
I recently returned from the annual West Point Alumni
Leaders Conference (sponsored every year by the Class of ’67). It was a
tremendous opportunity to reconnect with West Point and to receive briefings
from the Superintendent on down. I’m forwarding a very comprehensive
write-up from Stover James, President of the Pikes Peak Society. He did a
marvelous job summarizing the many accomplishments and initiatives at the
academy. Thanks, Stover!
·
The
highlight of my trip was the very moving, inspiring, and well-attended
(including Army and Air Force dignitaries and the Davis family) dedication
of the new General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Barracks. For those who do
not know, building #720 was demolished, and the “mountain was moved” for the
new barracks (with many modern amenities, including air conditioning), which
look great and a welcome addition to the West Point landscape. General Davis
‘36, son of the first African-American General in the U.S. Army (Benjamin O.
Davis, Sr.), was the 4th African-American to graduate from West
Point, and overcame racism (including being silenced in his class, with his own
room, dining alone, and only being spoken to in class and official business) to
graduate in the first class of Tuskegee Airmen, command the Tuskegee Airmen,
and command at the Squadron, Group, Wing, and numbered Air Force levels.
·
The
Corps, led by Simone Askew, the first female African-American First Captain in
West Point history, looked super in the Class of 2021 Acceptance Parade……no
fallouts!
·
I
am proud to inform you that our West Point Society of the Pikes Peak
Region (WPSPPR) was named a Distinguished Society again, a recognition that we
have won consecutively every year dating back to at least 2006. Many
Thanks to all who have made this award possible over the years.
·
West
Point Athletics/Competitive Clubs:
o National Championships:
§
Cycling/2017
§
Triathlon/2017
§
Judo/2017
§
Karate/2017
§
Men’s
Team Handball/2017
§
Women’s
Team Handball/2017
§
Men’s
Boxing/2017
§
Women’s
Boxing/2017
§
Orienteering/2017
§
Pistol/2017
§
Fencing/2017
§
Ethics
Debate/2017
o
Patriot
League/Conference Championships
§
Men’s
Tennis/2017
§
Men’s
Lacrosse/2017
§
Women’s
Tennis/2017
o
Other
West Point Intercollegiate Athletic/Competitive Club Notable Achievements:
§ .585 overall winning
percentage, and Beat Navy in 13 intercollegiate sports
§ West Point AD, Boo Corrigan,
was named the National Athletic Director of the Year!
§ Football: 8 wins + Beat Navy
+ Bowl Win
§ Sprint Football: 300th
Win
§ Men’s and Women’s Rugby: Both
were Collegiate 7s Bowl Champions
§
Hockey:
Goalie Parker Gahagen set new Army career saves record
§
Ryan
Nick Atlantic Hockey Sportsman of the Year
§ Numerous Patriot League
Scholar Athletes, Players of the Year, and Rookies of the Year Honors
§ Peter Kim: Patriot League
Golfer of the Year and All-American Honorable Mention
§ Swim/Dive, Tennis, and
Baseball Coaches won Patriot League Coaches of the Year Honors
§
In
addition to the 12 Club National Championships listed above, Army Clubs
consistently and overwhelmingly beat Navy
§ Sandhurst Competition: Army
Teams placed 1st (a UK Team often wins), 3rd, and 4th
·
Recent
College Rankings:
o
Forbes:
§
#2
Public College in the Nation (NOTE: The SUPE said a new category
for 2017 - “Social Climate” - e.g.,
“Party School” - hurt West Point……Imagine that!)
“Party School” - hurt West Point……Imagine that!)
§
#9
Liberal Arts College
§
#24
College overall in the Nation
o
US
News & World Report:
§ #1 in High School Guidance
Counselor Ratings
§
#2
Public Liberal Arts College
§
#4
Best Undergrad Engineering Programs
§
#19
Liberal Arts
o
Princeton
Review:
§
#1
Best Classroom
§
#2
Most Accessible Professors
§
#2
Lots of Race/Class Interaction
§
#4
Everyone Plays Intramurals Sports
§
#4
Best Health Services
§
#5
Best College Library
o
College
Choice: #14 Best Bachelor’s in Engineering Degree Program (NOTE: USAFA #17;
USNA #18)
·
Class
of 2017: 27 Cadet Scholarship Winners:
o
1
Rhodes Scholar (1st African-American in West Point history)
o
1
Marshall Scholar
o
5
Schwarzman Scholars
o
2
Yenching Scholars
o
3
Rotary Scholars
o
2
Fulbright Scholars
o
5
Lincoln Lab Scholars
o
5
Draper Scholars
o
2
GEM Scholars Rotary, Schwarzman, Churchill, and other scholarships
o
1
NSF Scholar
o
Plus,
numerous Class of 2017 Graduates will go to Medical School
·
SUPE’s
Priorities:
o
Leader
Development (West Point Vision: The preeminent leader development institution
in the world)
§
Honorable
Living
§
Sexual
Harassment/Assault/Command Climate
§
Winning
Culture
§
Diversity
o
Force
Protection
o
New
York City (Continue to build our partnership with New York City to enhance
cadet development and enrich our connection with the American People)
o
BEAT
NAVY!
·
SUPE’s
Additional Comments:
o
Security
is being tightened as protecting Cadets and Faculty is now a major concern
(BTW, many buildings now have swipe card access).
o
Ask:
Where does mediocrity exist?.....Cadets deserve better; they will lay it on the
line.
o
Pursuit
of Excellence
o
Winning
IAW Values, not win at all costs.
·
West
Point now has a Cadet Creed:
“As a future officer, I am committed to the values of Duty, Honor and
Country.
I am an
aspiring member of the Army Profession, dedicated to serve and earn the trust
of the American people.
It is my
duty to maintain the honor of the Corps.
I will live above the
common level of life, and have the courage to choose the harder right over the
easier wrong.
I will
live with honor and integrity, scorn injustice, and confront substandard
behavior.
I will
persevere through adversity and recover from failure.
I will
embrace the warrior ethos, and pursue excellence in everything I do.
I am a
future officer and a member of the Long Gray Line.”
·
The
number and type of Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD - Study
Abroad, Exchange, Cultural Immersion, Research, Internships, Projects, etc. –
1067 cadets, including 422 in 50 foreign countries), Military Individual
Advanced Development (MIAD - Sapper, SERE, Airborne, Air Assault, Combat Diver,
Jungle, Mountaineering, Commando, etc.) opportunities, both domestic and
international, for cadets are truly impressive (Example: I met a Firstie who
had a Cow Summer MIAD with the Chilean Mountain Warfare School, and then a
Firstie Summer MIAD @ Sandhurst, from which he deployed to Grafenwoehr for
live-fire training).
·
Class
of 2021 (“Until the Battle is Won 2021”) Beast Barracks:
o
More
physical; more road marches
o
More
time in field
o
Class
of 2021 started with 1237 members on R-Day, and lost 27 during Beast Barracks
·
Camp
Buckner Summer Military Training:
o
4
weeks long for Yearlings. 7.1 mile run back from Camp Buckner at end of
training; synchronized so that Yearlings running back from Camp Buckner
meet/pass the New Cadets marching out in the opposite direction towards Lake
Frederick.
o
2
weeks for Firsties. Camp Buckner 11-Day FTX, modeled after the Camp Darby Phase
of Ranger School. Firsties must pass patrols to graduate. 15 Late Grads in the
Class of 2017 who had to return to Camp Buckner because they did not pass this
graduation requirement the first time.
o
Yearlings/Yucks
promoted to Corporal
o
Cows:
August Affirmation Ceremony
o
Ring
Weekend: Firsties in August; presented @ Trophy Point
·
Class
of 2020 (very diverse and very high-achieving):
o
Women:
24.4% (all-time high)
o
African-Americans:
16.7% (all-time high)
o
Hispanic-Americans:
9.7%
o
Asians-Americans
8.0%
o
Soldiers:
6.1%
o
Recruited
Athletes: 26.7%
·
Significant
Construction
o
As
mentioned above, the new Davis Barracks is complete and occupied.
- The Foley, Enners, Nathe Lacrosse Center (15,000
square feet; 2 stories; located in the northeast end of Michie Stadium),
named for its lead donor, William P. Foley ’67, and for 1LT Raymond J.
Enners ’67 and 1LT Michael L. Nathe ’67, both Lacrosse Players who were
killed in action serving in Vietnam, is complete, has been dedicated, and
is in use.
o
Bartlett
Hall: 4-year Renovation complete.
o
Cullum
Hall: Beautiful new Memorial Room renovation, honoring all the West Point
Graduates who have fallen in battle, and the 76 West Point Graduates who have
been awarded the Medal of Honor.
o
Malek
Soccer Stadium
o
Malek
Visitor Center construction ongoing.
o
Cadet
Barracks Upgrade Program (CBUP): 8-Year Program totaling $643M; Scott and
MacArthur Barracks done; will be complete in 2023;
o
Longer
Term Plans/Project Submissions:
§
Academic
Building Upgrade Program (ABUP; like Bartlett Hall renovation): 9-Year Program;
6 buildings, $711M
§
Cyber
& Engineering Academic Center (CEAC): $89M; FY19
§
Cemetery:
$22M; FY18. BTW, the renovation of the Margaret Corbin site adjacent to the Old
Cadet Chapel is complete and looks great; a fitting memorial
§
Parking
Structure: $30M; FY20; significant need for parking and Force Protection
enhancement.
§
Arvin
Annex: vicinity of Shea Stadium and Fieldhouse
·
West
Point now has a Parents’ Weekend (“Corps Family Weekend”) for all classes (like
USAFA); this year it is 20-22 October.
·
The
West Point Band, the longest continuously serving U.S. Army Music Unit, is
celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2017.
·
WPAOG:
o
74,380
Total Graduates 1802-2016; 52,441 Living Graduates from 81 Classes
o
Mid-point
of the living Long Gray Line is in the Class of 1991; the mid-point of all
Graduates since 1802 is in the Class of 1980; many of us may be surprised
to realize how far along we are on the “sunset” side of those mid-points.
o
Oldest
Living Graduate is LTG William J. Ely, ’33 (105 Years Old)
o
139
West Point Societies, including 12 overseas.
o
Most
engaged alumni of any Service Academy
o
WPAOG
Goal: Most highly connected alumni body in the world; meaningful engagement
that increases affinity; engagement of Grads, Parents, Widows/Widowers, and
Cadets
o WPAOG financially strong;
sound investments; solid reserves; unwavering stewardship
o >$400M of assets
o Funding Margin of Excellence,
Academic, Cultural Enrichment, and Athletic/Competitive Club Programs
o WPAOG has received the
highest ratings for charitable organizations:
§ GuideStar: Platinum Award
(highest award)
§ Council for Advancement and
Support Education (CASE); Only Public Liberal Arts Institution to win the
highest CASE Overall Performance and Sustained Excellence Awards.
o Donors:
§ 17,523 donors to date in
2017; 76% Alumni and 24% non-Alumni
§ Current Alumni donor
participation rate: 26% of Grads; Goal: 33%
§ Navy: 19.4%
§ College alumni donor participation
average: 8.1%
§ Princeton: #1 @ 63%
§ Harvard: 35%
§ 24% Non-Alumni donors:
·
10%
parents
·
12%
Friends
·
1%
Widows
·
1%
Others
§ All Academy Challenge:
Successful in 2017
·
9.2%
of Alumni
·
$1,063,674.35
raised
·
Alumni
participation increased 25% in 2016
·
First
time donors increased 21% in 2016
o Rockbound Highland Home
Program (Grad Pass + Grad Perks + Grad Insider Tours+ Memorabilia/Sales Items)
o Enhanced WPAOG Connect
Program in early 2018: mobile and desktop application; search and LinkedIn
capabilities; access to WPAOG database; intended to promote professional and
social networking
o Recently completed
WPAOG/Donor-funded Construction:
§ Foley, Enners, Nathe Lacrosse
Center
§ Malek Soccer Stadium
§ Daley Field
§ Goldstein Field
o Future WPAOG/Donor-funded
Construction:
§ Arvin Annex (Building #673)
§ Malek Visitor Center
§ Humanities Center
§ Equestrian Center
o
Priority
Bridge Period Needs:
§
Michie
Stadium East Stands
§
Arvin
Annex (Building #673)
§
Center
for Study of Civil-Military Relations
§
Combating
Terrorism Center
§
Center
of Humanities
§
Cyber
Research Center
§
Army
Cyber Institute
§
Academy
Scholars Program
§
Semester
Abroad
§
Cadet
Activities Endowments/Funds
§
Modern
War Institute
§
Diversity
& Inclusion Initiatives
·
WPAOG
Strategic Plan based on key upcoming event: 2019 will be the 150th Anniversary
of the WPAOG (the WPAOG Sesquicentennial for you Hives). The WPAOG started on
22 May 1869 in New York City. The 1st annual gathering was 17 June
1870 @ CCNY.
o
Nation:
241 Years Old
o
Army:
242 Years Old
o
West
Point: 215 years Old
o
WPAOG:
148 Years Old
·
WPAOG
will start a website to highlight West Point Grad accomplishments day-by-day: 150@wpaog.org (example: Panama Canal project led by George Washington
Goethals, West Point Class of 1880, completed 2 years ahead of schedule on 14
August; his Deputies in charge of the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions were West
point Class of 1881 Grads). Suggestions for highlights welcomed and solicited.
I was able to watch a couple of ARMY Football practices;
very organized/spirited, with lots of energy and optimism from the Brave Old
ARMY Team, Coach Monken, and his Staff; 8 returning starters each on offense
and defense; the o-line averages 295 lbs.
Go Army! Beat Navy!
Brian MacDonald ‘83
President, West Point Society of Denver
303-915-6126
