The United States Army Celebrates its 248th birthday – History of Army West Point Football

The United States Army celebrates its 248^th birthday on June 14. While the primary mission and purpose of the Army is to “deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt, and sustained land dominance as part of the joint force of all U.S military,” the Hall of Fame would be remiss if it did not summarize the branch’s impact on the sport we love.

The United State Military Academy was founded on March 16, 1802, in an act signed by Thomas Jefferson. Its first graduate was Joseph Swift, who later became West Point’s superintendent. Later nineteenth century graduates include George Meade, Ulysses S. Grant, and John Pershing.

Football came to West Point in 1890. The Cadets lost their first game to Navy on November 29 by a score of 24-0. The Cadets rebounded the following year, beating Navy 32-16.

For more than a century, Army football has been a vital component of the history of college football. The Cadets won two national titles in the era before polls (1914, 1916) although the institution did not claim them. They later claimed a three-peat of national titles, winning in 1944, 1945, and 1946. The football program spawned three Heisman Trophy winners: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946), and Pete Dawkins (1958). West Point is also the home of the following members of the College Football Hall of Fame:

Of great significance to the Hall of Fame are the contributions of two West Point graduates who were instrumental in the early years of the National Football Foundation: General Douglas MacArthur (Class of 1903) and Earl Henry “Red” Blaik (Class of 1920). Along with famed sportswriter Grantland Rice, they helped create the NFF and Hall of Fame. Blaik was also a legendary coach at Army, amassing a record of 121-33-10. Blaik coached the three Army Heisman winners and led the Cadets to their three-peat.

Today Army football games from Michie Stadium are regularly showcased on CBS Sports Network. It is hard to imagine college football Saturdays without an early November contest on the banks of the Hudson River, multi-colored foliage in the sunlit distance, and the Cadet Regiment marching onto the field for the national anthem.

Happy Birthday, Army, and many returns.