West Point Military Academy

WEST POINT MILITARY ACADEMY -  The Crest was designed in 1898 by Professors Larned, Bass, and Tillman, the original design was nearly identical to the current, but was oriented to the right.  In 1923, the coat of arms was oriented to the left to conform to more traditional conventions of heraldry. Some of the older buildings on post still bear the original, right-oriented version.  The shield is topped by the American bald eagle and the academy's motto of "Duty, Honor, Country" and "West Point MDCCCII USMA" which is the date of USMA's founding.  The helmet is that of Pallas Athena, for centuries a symbol of wisdom and learning.  The sword is a traditional emblem of the military.

The history of the United States Military Academy can be traced to fortifications constructed on the West Point of the Hudson River during the American Revolutionary War in 1778.  Following the war, President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation establishing the United States Military Academy (USMA) on the site in 1802.  In 1817 the Academy was transformed by the appointment of Sylvanus Thayer who drastically reformed the curriculum.

West Point first accepted women as cadets in 1976, when Congress authorized the admission of women to all of the federal service academies. Women comprise about 15 percent of entering plebes (freshmen); and they pursue the same academic and professional training as do their male classmates, except with different physical aptitude standards on the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and the Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT).   In addition, women at West Point do not take boxing during plebe year physical education (as do the men), but they instead take "self defense," which is loosely based upon the Army's close-quarters combat/martial arts training.