SEVENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York June 10, 1941 C-rinted by The Moore Printing Company, Inc. Newburgh, N. Y¥: 0 C; 42 lcc0 0 0 0 P-,.0 r- 'Sc) CD 0 ct e c; *e H, Ir Annual Report, June 10, 1941 3 Report of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the Association of Graduates, U. S. M. A. Held at West Point, N. Y., June 10, 1941 1. The meeting was called to order at 2:02 p. m. by McCoy '97, President of the Association. There were 225 present. 2. Invocation was rendered by the Reverend H. Fairfield Butt, III, Chaplain of the United States Military Academy. 3. The President presented Brigadier General Robert L. Eichel- berger, '09, Superintendent, U. S. Military Academy, who addressed the Association (Appendix B). 4. It was moved and seconded that the reading of the report of the President be dispensed with, since that Report would later be pub- lished in its entirety in the 1941 Annual Report (Appendix A). The motion was passed. 5. It was moved and seconded that the reading of the Report of the Secretary be dispensed with, since that Report would later be pub- lished in its entirety in the 1941 Annual Report (Appendix C.) The motion was passed. 6. It was moved and seconded that the reading of the Report of the Treasurer be dispensed with, since that Report would later be published in its entirety in the 1941 Annual Report (Appendix D). The motion was passed. 7. It was moved and seconded that the President send telegrams of greetings to the oldest living graduate, Tillman, '69, and to Pershing, '86. The motion was passed unanimously. 8. Fenton, '04, Chairman of the nominating Committee, presented nominations, aproved by the Board of Trustees, as follows: For President: Frank R. McCoy, 1897 For Vice-Presidents: Peter E. Traub, 1886 Malvern-Hill Barnum, 1886 Andrew Hero, Jr., 1891 Joseph P. Tracy, 1896 Sherwood A. Cheney, 1897 4 Annual Report, June 10, 1941 4_ AnulRprue1,14 For Board of Trustees: To Serve Until July 1, 1944: Dennis E. Nolan, 1896 Robert C. Davis, 1898 John C. Montgomery, 1903 Roger G. Alexander, 1907 Robert L. Eichelberger, 1909 Clarence H. Danielson, 1913 Herman Beukema, 1915 Howard P. Richardson, June, 1918 John A. McNulty, 1920 R. Deck Reynolds, 1924 To Serve Until July 1, 1942: Frederick A. Irving, April, 1917 A motion to elect the nominees of the committee was made, sec- onded, and passed by unanimous vote. 9. Davis, '98, made a motion that a vote of appreciation of the services of McCoy, '97, as President during 1940-41, be made of record. The motion was seconded, and passed unanimously. 10. The President presented Crozier, '76, oldest graduate present, and James G. Harbord, honorary member of '86. 11. The President announced that Pershing, '86, would speak by telephone from Walter Reed General Hospital to his classmates at their reunion dinner that evening. 12. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:32 p. m. -EDWARD L. MUNSON, JR., Secretary. Annual Report, June 10, 1941 5 APPENDIX A Report of the President, Association of Graduates lYUIDING our policy by the three objects of the Association of Graduates, as stated in our Constitution-"to cherish the memories of the Military Academy at West Point, to promote its welfare and that of its graduates, and to foster social inter- course and fraternal fellowship"-we have this year been making de- finite progress toward a more alert and active Association. Our funds have now reached sound, healthy proportions. Last year income exceeded expenditure by nearly $8,000; under the wise guid- ance of our Endowment Fund Committee, our investments have paid just under 5%. Therefore we have felt better able financially than ever before to support increased activity by the Association. The campaign to secure the election of Sylvanus Thayer to the Hall- of Fame of New York University resulted in his candidacy receiving nine votes at the 1940 election; in 1935 he had received only one vote. Definitely this was progress, but we are still far from the needed 65 votes. To insure the Thayer election in 1945 will require greater efforts from all of us. Already the Association is planning that next cam- paign. We have made every effort this year to keep the Association before the Corps of Cadets, fully realizing that the Association can give much, and should give much, to make the value of membership in it more keenly appreciated and desired than has been the case in the past. A suitably inscribed record playing machine was installed in the Thayer Hotel ballroom, for the use of cadets and their guests. Our old furniture -- desks, tables, chairs, rugs, bookcases--was repaired, refinished, suit- ably marked, and presented to the Corps of Cadets. As a result the new Club Room of the Cadet Debating Society was completely furnished; the Cadet Class Clubs and the Radio Club received furniture; and the Ordnance Museum now uses four of our large bookcases in which it displays behind glass numerous items of historical value which here- tofore have been necessarily on open display. All First Classmen were given copies of the 1939 and 1940 Annual Report, and files of past Annual Reports and Cullum Registers were provided for the First Class Club. All members of the graduating class received letters covering in detail the purpose and activities of the Association; the entire class C r 0 Dc 0 e m ,< 0k 5H ' 0 :o SX '- oo 0^ 0)) . 0 a) o ^ S FQe *a *W .l Y. aF Annual Report, June 10, 1941 7 Annual Report, June 10, 1941 7 was assembled to hear splendid discussions of the purposes of the Association by Major General R. C. Davis, '98, Acting President of the Association during my absence in South America, and Major Gen- eral Irving Phillipson, '04. As a result of these efforts, three hundred and ten members of the Class of 1941 joined the Association upon graduation. Also, twelve members of older classes joined, as well as one non-graduate who be- came an Associate Member. These numbers are gratifying, but we will never be fully satisfied until we attain a 100% membership of all eligibles. We look forward to the day when every son of West Point will consider that his membership in the Association is an essential to his future career. We acknowledge with deep appreciation the bequest of $5,000 made by Arthur S. Hardy, '69. Such legacies will always be gratefully re- ceived by the Endowment Fund. I might here suggest that, for many of us, life insurance policies are probably the most convenient method of leaving legacies. The 139th anniversary of the founding of the Military Academy was celebrated on March 15. Thirty-two dinners were held-a gratify- ing number, in view of general conditions. We supplied all dinner committees with up-to-date publicity releases of West Point news, and where desired, we also furnished the usual "skin" lists, Pointers, song books, and moving pictures-the reels including a new 16 mm. short of modern cadet activities. The annual broadcast, over the Blue N. B. C. Network, rebroadcast by short wave to outlying possessions, we consider to have been very successful. Its theme was Unity-it emphasized the fact that once again West Pointers were wholeheartedly cooperating with civilian appointees in creating an expanded civilian army. Our principal speaker was a non-West Pointer, General George C. Mar- shall. General Robert L. Eichelberger also spoke, as did General Rob- ert C. Davis, acting president of the Association. I cannot close this report without expressing the sincere thanks of the Association to the Superintendent of the Military Academy, Gen- eral Eichelberger, and to his staff, for their most helpful cooperation with the Association during the past year. Also I wish to make of record the grateful appreciation of the Association for the splendid work done by our secretary, Major Mun- son, now leaving us because of orders for change of station. Much of the spade work in this year of progress has been done by him in a devoted, efficient manner which has merited our warmest commenda- tions. -FRANK R. McCoY, President. T" r-( CU 1= Cd P-, ct Lt ;-q Uk Annual Report, June 10, 1941 9 Annual Report, June 10, 1941 9 APPENDIX B Address Made by General R. L. Eichelberger To Association of Graduates at Annual Meeting, West Point, N. Y., June 10, 1941. FELLOW GRADUATES: IOR MANY years, this pleasant luncheon has been the occasion for the Superintendent to officially welcome you to the Military Academy. To me, it is a fine old custom. It is a pleasure, therefore, to welcome all the "Old Grads" back to the Seventy- Second Annual Meeting of the Association of Graduates. This yearly trek is a pleasure and an inspiration to all and now forms an import- ant and indispensable part of June Week. Without you these cere- monies would not be complete. I know it is your love and veneration for this great institution that prompts your return. It is also the added spark which brings to light the sometimes latent interest, or anxiety, in her current welfare. I realize that in addition to paying homage to the shrine of four of your youthful years, you are seeking for yourselves an estimate of the situa- tion in the Corps. Perhaps you may be concerned that the "Sons of Today" are not as well equipped as you were in an earlier day.