Voting Station

Sylvanus Thayer

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (June 9, 1785-September 7, 1872)
    Born in Braintree, Massachusetts
    Military engineer
    Superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point (1817-33)
    Nicknamed 'the Father of West Point'
    Namesake for the Sylvanus Thayer Award given by the West Point Association of Graduates to 'an outstanding citizen of the United States whose service and accomplishments in the national interest exemplify personal devotion to the ideals expressed in the West Point motto: DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was too shy to give a speech when he was valedictorian of his class at Dartmouth (1807).
    Despite what you might think based on the 'Father of West Point' nickname, he was the fifth Superintendent of the US Military Academy, not the first.
    He resigned from West Point to protest political interference by President Andrew Jackson

Why he might not be annoying:

    He directed the fortification and defense of Norfolk, Virginia, during the War of 1812.
    At West Point, he established the first college of engineering in the US.
    He established a number of West Point traditions and policies still in effect, including 'the values of honor and responsibility, strict mental and physical discipline, the demerit system, summer encampment, high academic standards and the requirement that cadets maintain outstanding military bearing and appearance at all times.'
    A West Point historian wrote, 'He was always prompt, always courteous, and always looked as if he had just shaved, bathed, and dressed.'
    Many of the officers in the Mexican-American War and the US Civil War had been cadets during his tenure at West Point.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 20 Votes: 60.0% Annoying