The first woman in U.S. history to achieve the rank of four-star general will receive WPAOG’s 2019 Sylvanus Thayer Award. The award will be presented on October 10, 2019 during ceremonies hosted by USMA Superintendent LTG Darryl A. Williams ’83. “I thank the West Point Association of Graduates for this high honor,” said GEN Dunwoody. “With four generations of West Point graduates in my family; my brother, my dad, my grandfather and my great-grandfather, I am especially proud that I will have the privilege of trooping the line, and the opportunity to salute the men and women of the Corps of Cadets who will lead and inspire our future Army.” Full story.

On April 25 WPAOG officially unveiled a statue of Ulysses S. Grant—the 18th President of the United States and Academy graduate of the Class of 1843—during a ceremony in celebration of the sesquicentennial of his inauguration. The Grant statue was made possible through a generous donation by HON Robert A. McDonald ’75, his wife Diane and family. Portrayed in his four-star uniform of the Union Army during the Civil War era, a finely detailed full-figure 7-½-foot bronze statue of Grant now sits upon a 4½-foot granite base. Sculptor Paula Slater was commissioned for the piece. Read more. Photos.

Score updates throughout the 51st Sandhurst Military Skills Competition kept USMA Black on edge as they bounced in an out of first place. Sometimes, they'd hear they were atop the leaderboard. Other times, family and friends who had gathered to cheer them on would spur them ahead with the news they had fallen into second or even third place. But following two days of competition, more than 27-miles of rigorous rucking and 13 obstacles - including physical fitness, marksmanship and land navigation challenges - USMA Black stood above the competition. Overall, four USMA teams placed in the top five. Full story.

In the historic 100th meeting between the Army West Point and Navy men's lacrosse teams, the Black Knights left Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with a thrilling 9-8 overtime victory to secure a star in the Army-Navy Star Series. With the win, Army clinched a berth in the Patriot League playoffs. Full story.

Members of the Superintendent’s Circle take a leading role in strengthening the Margin of Excellence for cadets, and have the exclusive opportunity to see firsthand the results of their support at WPAOG’s annual Donor Tribute Day on May 2, held in conjunction with West Point Projects Day. This event showcases cadets’ capstone academic work and demonstrates the ways in which private funding enriches the West Point experience. Learn more about Margin of Excellence opportunities made possible by your support! Go Army!

USMA 2019 Graduation is right around the corner. There is still time to order your diploma frame and commissioning certificate frame for delivery before graduation! Frames are made to order and shipped directly to your home. Choose from our selection online at WPAOGGiftShop.com, or call us at 800.426.4725 to customize your frames. Deadline is May 3 for graduation delivery orders.

Join us in celebrating the remarkable academic talents of the Class of 2019. So far this year, 20 cadets have received acceptance to medical school. Other honors include two Schwarzman and three Marshall Scholars, one Churchill Scholarship, one Anna Sobel Levy Scholarship, four Fulbright Scholars, one Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, and one National Science Foundation Fellowship. Additionally, two members of the Class of 2020 received Truman Scholarships.

To celebrate WPAOG’s 150th Anniversary in 2019, we are sharing fun “On This Day” historical trivia every day on our social media feeds and website. For more than a year, LTC(R) Jenn Voigtschild Minus ’93 combed through USMA & WPAOG history to collect more than 365 facts, one for each day of the year. See them all on our website or check out #WPAOG150 on social media. From the website, you can even share daily facts with family and friends!

During the Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month Walk-A-Mile April 10, participants walked by T-shirts decorated as part of the West Point SHARP Summit Clothesline Project. The T-shirts represent the expression by victims of their emotions after being sexually assaulted. The project was done to address the issue of sexual violence to both men and women. Cadets took part in the walk, among the many community members, to show solidarity in helping victims and bringing awareness to end sexual violence in our culture. Story.

We hope parents will join in the fun with Flat Cullum! (He’s located on page 13 in your Spring issue of West Point.) He got to see Army Baseball beat Navy in Annapolis on April 21! Be sure to share your photos on social media using #FlatCullum and #WPAOG150. If you don’t use social media, please email us your photo with a caption and we’ll post in our online photo album.

The West Point Museum supported the Department of History’s annual Historic Weapons Shoot on April 20. These are no ordinary museum curators who happily spend their Saturday in the wind and rain to inspire cadets in the study of history. The West Point Department of History is incredibly grateful for the outstanding team at the West Point Museum and their commitment to their shared mission, saying, “History is too important to be boring, and our museum partners find ways to engage cadets with material culture inside and outside the classroom.” Photos.

Reserve your space in the Summer 2019 West Point Authors Bookshelf, a specially-priced advertising section in West Point magazine showcasing books by West Point affiliated authors. Check out the West Point Bookshelf in the Winter 2019 issue to discover & support these books. Learn more about this and other WPAOG advertising and sponsorship opportunities.