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 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, in 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 Lieutenants 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 were 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.