West Point : Two Centuries and Beyond

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point is one of America's oldest and most revered institutions. Since its founding in 1802 it has prepared young men—and recently, young women—for careers as officers in the army and for a lifetime of service to the nation. The distinguished record of Academy graduates in war and peace has earned West Point a reputation as one of the world's premier leader-development institutions.

West Point celebrated its bicentennial in 2002. In honor of the milestone, the USMA Department of History hosted a multi-disciplinary conference that provided an opportunity for serious study of the Academy and its place in American society. The topics included the Academy's role in developing officer professionalism, its influence on the careers of distinguished graduates, institutional challenges and changes, the experiences of women and minorities at West Point, and the evolution of the academic curriculum. The twenty-four chapters in this volume examine these issues and reflect the rich scholarship of the bicentennial conference.

The Academy has undergone dramatic changes during its long history. As it begins its third century, however, continuity—not change— is what most characterizes West Point and the Corps of Cadets. By perpetuating the noble values of the profession of arms, the Academy continues to accomplish its vital mission of producing leaders of character for the nation. In this regard, the Corps of today still treads "where they of the Corps have trod."

LANCE BETROS is an active-duty colonel in the U.S. Army. He is stationed at United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, as the Head of the Department of History. His editorial work on West Point: Two Centuries and Beyond has led to his current project, a book-length institutional history of the Military Academy. He can be reached for interview at lance.betros@usma.edu