The Class of 2024 affirmed their commitment to service on August 14, taking the Oath of Affirmation. Members of the Class of 1974, the 50-year Affiliation class, presented the cadets with commemorative coins to mark the occasion. Ambassador Matthew S. Klimow ’74 was the guest speaker for the evening. Photos.

The United States Corps of Cadets assembled on the Plain for the Acceptance Day Parade and to officially welcome the Class of 2026 into the Long Gray Line. Congratulations to the proud family and friends of the plebes. Photos.

The deadline for nominations for the 2023 WPAOG Sylvanus Thayer Award and Distinguished Graduate Award is November 3. Note that individual graduates, classes, and Societies may submit nominations for the Thayer Award, while only classes and Societies may nominate Distinguished Graduates. If you have any questions about how to submit a nomination, please email Laurie Fontana.

In this episode of the WPAOG podcast, listen in on conversation between Tye Reedy ’05, Director of Business Development at Adams Keegan, and James Keegan ’55. Jim is best known as a co-founder of Morgan Keegan & Company (now Raymond James), one of the country’s largest investment firms, where he served as President and COO until retirement in 1985. Jim tells us about his time in the military and what’s required to be a confident entrepreneur. Listen.

Thank you to our Class, Society, and Parent Club leaders for attending the 27th annual WPAOG Leaders Conference, sponsored by the Class of 1967. We were delighted to have had over 200 volunteer leaders, USMA staff and faculty, and WPAOG staff come together to share best practices with one another as we collectively worked together to “Unlock the Power of the Long Gray Line.” Thank you to the Class of 1967 who makes this annual conference possible. View photos.

On August 11, faculty and cadets were recognized and celebrated for academic excellence at the Superintendent’s Convocation Award Ceremony. This year’s Convocation speaker was GEN(R) Martin E. Dempsey ’74, 37th Chief of Staff of the Army and 18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Cadet recognition included the Superintendent’s Award for Excellence (Top 5 percent military, physical, and academic pillars), the Superintendent’s Award for Achievement (Top 15 percent military, physical, and academic pillars), and the Distinguished Cadet Award (above a 3.74-3.79 grade point average in academic pillar, depending on year group).

Rick Wilber ’69, a businessman and investor who got in on the ground floor of several successful businesses, says that being a West Point graduate helped him get his foot in the door many times during his career. In gratitude, he and his wife, Mayra, established an Irrevocable Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust that will pay them income for life and eventually provide $10 million to the West Point Association of Graduates for the Superintendent’s Endowment. Read more.

The Academy values Margin of Excellence-supported opportunities such as sports teams, choirs, academic clubs, and religious groups. Clubs and activities allow cadets to learn from one another and give them a chance to practice the character and leadership skills instilled through their training and studies. Cadet clubs are vital leadership labs, calling for many of the same abilities expected of our combat leaders: the ability to coordinate logistics, manage budgets, maintain equipment, deploy and redeploy safely, and win. There are nearly 140 cadet clubs at West Point, including athletic, recreational, academic, religious, hobby, and diversity clubs—something for virtually every interest, made possible by the Margin of Excellence.

In the spirit of leaving no West Point Entrepreneur behind, Adams Keegan is looking to sponsor two grads to attend the 2022 West Point Entrepreneur Summit (Oct 6-7). This includes complimentary registration and one night’s stay at the Gaylord Resort National Harbor. Upload a 30-60 second video here, telling us what it means for you to be a West Point Entrepreneur and why you want to attend this year’s summit. Winners will be selected by September 9.

Kyle Pitts of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons sat at a large round table surrounded by USMA cadets. These Black Knights were all football players, hanging on every word, every story the Pro Bowl tight end told over lunch. Having a star player in their midst is a rarity, and the players took full advantage of access to such a genuine and approachable talent. Pitts wasn’t the only one holding court. Full story.

Back to School never looked so good or so organized! Whatever you need to record you can do it with one of our Army leather journals from Rustico, which are made in the USA and ready to ship now. Add a little Army to your work, school or play days with our passport covers, golf logs, hiking logs, field notes, composition covers and more. Available 24/7 online at WPAOGGiftShop.com. Download and shop from our app (Apple or Android) or call 800.426.4725 during normal business hours Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.