Famous Graduates

West Point ’02

Joseph Gardner Swift was the first graduate of the United States Military Academy, receiving his diploma on October 12, 1802.

West Point ’29

Robert E. Lee graduated second in his class from West Point and served as a celebrated U.S. Army officer before commanding Confederate forces during the Civil War.

West Point ’43

Ulysses S. Grant led Union forces to victory in the Civil War and served two terms as the 18th President of the United States.

West Point ’40

William Tecumseh Sherman was a Union general in the Civil War, famous for his March to the Sea and his doctrine of total war.

Naval Academy ’58

George Dewey is the only person in U.S. history to have held the rank of Admiral of the Navy, the highest naval rank ever conferred.

West Point ’86

John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing commanded the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and is one of only two officers to hold the rank of General of the Armies during their lifetime.

West Point ’15

Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded Allied forces in Europe during World War II and later served as the 34th President of the United States.

West Point ’03

Douglas MacArthur graduated first in his class at West Point and commanded Allied forces in the Pacific during World War II and United Nations forces during the Korean War.

West Point ’07

Henry 'Hap' Arnold is the only person to hold five-star rank in two different branches—the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force—and is known as the father of the modern Air Force.

West Point ’09

George S. Patton was one of the most aggressive and successful tank commanders of World War II, known for his bold tactics and demanding leadership style.

Naval Academy ’05

Chester Nimitz commanded all Allied air, land, and sea forces in the Pacific Ocean Area during World War II and oversaw the defeat of Imperial Japan.

West Point ’15

Omar Bradley commanded U.S. ground forces during the liberation of Europe and served as the first Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becoming known as the 'soldier's general.'

Naval Academy ’47

Jimmy Carter served as a submarine officer and nuclear engineer before entering politics, eventually becoming the 39th President of the United States.

West Point ’51

Buzz Aldrin graduated from West Point and became a fighter pilot before joining NASA, flying on Gemini 12 and Apollo 11, where he became the second person to walk on the Moon.

West Point ’56

Norman Schwarzkopf commanded the multinational coalition force that liberated Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Naval Academy ’58

John McCain was a Navy aviator who endured five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam before a long career in the U.S. Senate.

West Point ’74

David Petraeus commanded Multi-National Force Iraq and authored the counterinsurgency strategy credited with stabilizing Iraq during the 2007 surge before serving as CIA Director.

West Point ’66

Wesley Clark graduated first in his class at West Point and commanded NATO forces during Operation Allied Force in Kosovo.

West Point ’84

H.R. McMaster earned a Ph.D. in history, wrote the landmark critique 'Dereliction of Duty,' commanded the Battle of 73 Easting, and later served as National Security Advisor.

Naval Academy ’10

Kayla Barron is a Naval Academy graduate, submarine officer, and NASA astronaut who spent 177 days aboard the International Space Station as part of Expedition 66.

Air Force Academy ’65

Captain Lance P. Sijan was the first Air Force Academy graduate to receive the Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously for extraordinary acts of heroism — including 46 days of solo evasion while severely wounded — as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Air Force Academy ’73

On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger successfully ditched US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after both engines failed, saving all 155 people aboard in what became known as the Miracle on the Hudson.

Air Force Academy ’80

Susan Helms was a member of the first class of women to graduate from the Air Force Academy, flew five space shuttle missions, and holds the record for one of history's longest spacewalks — 8 hours and 56 minutes aboard the International Space Station.

Coast Guard Academy ’85

Admiral Linda L. Fagan shattered the highest glass ceiling in U.S. military history when she became the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard in 2022 — the first woman ever to serve as a service chief in the history of the United States Armed Forces.

Coast Guard Academy ’45

G. William Miller is the only person in American history to have served as both Chairman of the Federal Reserve and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. A Coast Guard Academy graduate, he served in World War II before leading Textron to become a major industrial conglomerate and then entering public service under President Jimmy Carter.

Coast Guard Academy ’72

Captain Bruce E. Melnick was the first member of the United States Coast Guard ever selected as a NASA astronaut. He flew two Space Shuttle missions — STS-41 aboard Discovery and the maiden voyage of Endeavour, STS-49 — logging over 480 hours in space before retiring from both the Coast Guard and NASA in 1992.

Merchant Marine Academy ’87

Mark Kelly graduated from Kings Point in 1987, flew 39 combat missions in the Gulf War as a Navy F/A-18 pilot, commanded four Space Shuttle missions including Endeavour's final flight, and was elected U.S. Senator from Arizona in 2020 — one of the most varied and decorated careers in the history of service academy graduates.

Merchant Marine Academy ’71

Andrew Card graduated from Kings Point in 1971 and served as White House Chief of Staff under President George W. Bush from January 2001 through March 2006. On the morning of September 11, 2001, it was Card who leaned in to whisper to President Bush: 'A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.'

Merchant Marine Academy ’63

Admiral Dennis C. Blair commanded the United States Pacific Command from 1999 to 2002 — the largest geographic combatant command in the U.S. military — before serving as the second Director of National Intelligence under President Barack Obama, overseeing all 17 agencies of the U.S. Intelligence Community.