Artifact Friday: West Point Keys

On the 27th of January, 1778, the Connecticut Militia crossed the frozen Hudson River

and established a camp that they named Fort Arnold, later Fort Clinton. They waited out the

rest of the harsh winter here and moved on once the seasons began to change. Although they

left Fort Clinton, the structures remained and eventually became a training facility in 1794.

Eight years later, Fort Clinton became West Point and set out to train a generation after

generation of United States military officers. West Point is now the oldest and most prestigious

military college in the United States.

Nearly two hundred years later, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford signed Law 94-106. This

law required all military academies in the United States, such as the US Naval Academy, the

Citadel and even West Point to allow women to enroll in their programs. That very year, on

July 7th, 119 women joined the West Point Corps of Cadets. 62 of these women graduated in

1980, and became 2nd Lieutenant in the Army.

To commemorate this momentous advancement, AAMM now holds a set of keys from

West Point. These keys once allowed access to the oldest and most historical buildings on the

West Point campus which was previously held by General John McConnell, a native of Booneville, AR. General McConnell was a four-star general and served as the Air Force Chief of Staff.