U.S., Military and Naval Academies, Cadet Records and Applications, 1800-1908

The U.S. Military Academy, also known as West Point or Army, was founded in 1802 in West Point, New York. The U.S. Naval Academy, also known as Annapolis, was established in 1845 and is located in Annapolis, Maryland. This database contains various records from these two schools.

Military Academy Records:

• Name index to Military Academy cadet application papers, 1805-1866

This index is arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the applicant’s surname, thereunder by the initial vowel sound of the surname, and thereunder chronologically by application date.

Information listed in the index includes: name of applicant, year of application, state from which candidate applied, and file number of the application papers.

The original index was compiled by the War Department. The National Archives later made a few notes and additions to the index. Entries for which correspondence has been found have been marked with an asterisk (*) by the National Archives. On entries where the file number for the correspondence was omitted, the National Archives added the number to the index in brackets. The National Archives also added supplemental index entries of names that the War Department omitted in their compilation. These entries are filmed in appropriate alpha and chronological order.

• Military Academy registers, 1867-1894

These records are arranged chronologically and can list name of applicant, district number, office number, file number, event year, and general remarks.

• Register of cadet applications, 1819-1867

These registers are arranged chronologically into year ranges and thereunder by state. The registers may list name of applicant, section of the state where from, date of application, age at time of application, by whom recommended, nature of qualification, date of appointment, and general remarks.

Naval Academy Records:

• Naval Academy registers of delinquencies, 1846-1850, and 1853-1882

The 1846-1850 register is arranged by type of offense, academic year, and date of offense. The pages of the registers are divided into various categories of offenses or delinquencies. Entered under each category are the dates the offenses were committed, the names of the offenders, and occasional remarks describing details of the delinquencies and the punishments received.

The registers covering the periods October 1853-June 1855 and October 1867- May 1882 are arranged by academic year and thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname. The registers for the period October 1855-May 1867 are arranged by academic year, thereunder generally by class, and thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname. Beginning in academic year 1871-72, the conduct records of cadet-engineers were entered in the registers of delinquencies or conduct rolls following the records of cadet-midshipmen. Information listed in these registers includes: name of midshipman or cadet, class rank, date and description of delinquency, name of reporting officer, number of demerits received or the manner in which the delinquency was disposed of, and remarks indicating the pleas of the midshipman or cadet.

No registers for the academic years 1851-53 have been located.

• Naval Academy academic and conduct records of cadets, 1881-1908 and 1846-1908

The academic and conduct record of a cadet was begun at the time of his admission to the Academy and was continued in the same volume until the completion of his 4 years of study or until his withdrawal from the Academy.

The academic and conduct records of cadets are, in general, arranged by date of admission and thereunder alphabetically by initial letter of surname of cadet. In the earlier volumes the academic and conduct records of cadet-engineers were entered after those of cadet-midshipmen.

Entries for each cadet in the academic and conduct records contain his name, date of admission, name of the appointed official, place and date of birth, city or town of the cadet’s residence at the time of appointment, previous education, religious denomination, and address and occupation of parent or guardian.

The above information was taken from the microfilm introductions and descriptive pamphlets of NARA series M688, M991, M2061, M2124, and M2037. For more information about these records, please consult these sources.