Sylvanus Thayer
Sylvanus Thayer (1785-1872) - Born 9 Jun 1785 in Braintree, Massachusetts. He had a long and distinguished military engineering career (1808-1863). Died 7 Sep 1872 in Braintree, Massachusetts.
Sylvanus Thayer entered the United States Military Academy in 1807 and graduated in the Class of 1808 after a single year of attendance. On graduation, he became a 2nd Lt., Corps of Engineers and later served during the War of 1812. He served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy (1817-1833) and became known as "Father of the Military Academy" for making it a world class institution. He supervised the construction of the fortifications at Boston Harbor including Fort Independence, Fort Warren and Fort Winthrop. He retired from the Army as a Colonel on 21 Apr 1863 and was given the rank of Brevet Brigadier General after being nominated by President Abraham Lincoln. He is interred at the West Point Cemetery.
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