Distinguished Graduates of West Point: Shaping Military and Beyond
The United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, an undergraduate college in West Point, New York, was founded in 1802. Its mission is to educate and commission officers for the United States Army. It is the oldest of the United States' five service academies. Also referred to as West Point, the name of the military base that the academy is a part of, the academy graduated its first cadet, Joseph Gardner Swift, in October 1802. Sports media refer to the academy as "Army" and the students as "Cadets", a usage that is officially endorsed. The football team is also known as "The Black Knights of the Hudson" and "The Black Knights".
The United States Military Academy is ranked 40th in the world, 20th in North America, and 19th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence, according to EduRank. A small number of graduates each year choose the option of cross-commissioning into the United States Air Force, United States Navy, or the United States Marine Corps. Before the founding of the United States Air Force Academy in 1955, the academy was a major source of officers for the Air Force and its predecessors. The list of alumni is drawn from graduates, non-graduate former cadets, current cadets, and faculty of the Military Academy.
Military Leaders and Commanders
West Point has trained most of the great American military commanders since the first half of the 19th century. Notable graduates include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, William T. Sherman, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and many others who have significantly shaped military history.
Ulysses S. Grant: The 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877, Grant led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War as commanding general.
Robert E. Lee: A Confederate general during the American Civil War, Lee commanded the Army of Northern Virginia from 1862 until its surrender in 1865.
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William Tecumseh Sherman: Serving as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, Sherman earned recognition for his command of military strategy.
Douglas MacArthur: An American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, MacArthur achieved the rank of General of the Army.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: The 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961, Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II.
John J. Pershing: An American army general who served as the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I from 1917 to 1920.
George S. Patton: A general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
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Omar Bradley: A senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army.
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr: As the commander of United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War against Ba'athist Iraq.
David Petraeus: A retired United States Army general and public official. He served as the fourth director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 2011, until his resignation in November 2012.
Stanley A. McChrystal: A retired United States Army general best known for his command of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from 2003 to 2008.
Political Figures and Leaders
Several West Point graduates have transitioned into prominent roles in politics and government, both domestically and internationally.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower: Before becoming president, Eisenhower achieved the five-star rank as General of the Army and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe during World War II.
Ulysses S. Grant: Prior to his presidency, Grant led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War.
Jefferson Davis: An American politician who served as the first and only president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865.
Mike Pompeo: Served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018, and as the 70th United States secretary of state from 2018 to 2021.
William Westmoreland: A United States Army general, most notably the commander of United States forces during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army from 1968 to 1972.
Mark T. Esper: Served as the 27th United States secretary of defense from 2019 to 2020 and as the secretary of the Army from November 2017 to July 2019.
H. R. McMaster: Served as the 25th United States National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018.
Anastasio Somoza Debayle: The 53rd President of Nicaragua from 1967 to 1972 and again from 1974 to 1979.
Lloyd J. Austin III: A retired United States Army general who served as the 28th United States secretary of defense from 2021 to 2025.
Pioneers of Space Exploration
West Point boasts an impressive roster of astronauts who have contributed significantly to space exploration.
Buzz Aldrin: An American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission, and was the Lunar Module Eagle pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. He was the second person to walk on the Moon after mission commander Neil Armstrong.
Michael Collins: An American astronaut who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 while his crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made the first crewed landing on the surface.
Frank Borman: Served as the commander of Apollo 8, the first space-flight mission to orbit the moon and return safely.
Edward H. White: White was the first American to walk in space during Project Gemini.
Influential Figures in Arts and Literature
While West Point is primarily known for producing military leaders, it has also fostered talent in the arts and literature.
- Edgar Allan Poe: An American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre.
Athletics
Mike Krzyzewski: Krzyzewski served as the head coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022, during which he led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Fours (the most of any coach in men's basketball), 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular season titles.
Adam Vinatieri: An American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.
Alejandro Villanueva: An American football player.
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