National Endowment for the Humanities Grant SUPPORTS WEST POINT’S AMERICAN FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM
The West Point Association of Graduates has been awarded a matching grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support the American Foundations program, an initiative dedicated to deepening cadets’ understanding of the U.S. Constitution and
Beyond the classroom, American Foundations brings history and ideas to life through academic enrichment experiences. Recent trips have taken cadets to Valley Forge and Philadelphia, Fort Ticonderoga, and Washington, DC, where they engaged directly with historic sites, handled period weapons, and met with national leaders. These experiences reinforce the program’s mission by connecting constitutional principles
to lived history and contemporary civic leadership. The program also extends its reach across the Academy by hosting high-profile lectures open to the entire Corps of Cadets. Since 2023, American Foundations has welcomed distinguished scholars and public intellectuals, including Judge Janice Rogers Brown, Dr. Arthur Brooks, Prof. Randy Barnett, and Ms. Amity Shlaes.
America’s founding principles. Established in January 2023, American Foundations was created to deepen West Point cadets’ understanding of the U.S. Constitution and America’s founding principles by offering an academic minor, a guest speaker program, and academic enrichment experiences. Inspired by the Federalist Papers’ enduring question— whether societies are capable of establishing good government “by reflection and choice”— the program set out with modest goals. Its success has far exceeded expectations. Since its approval, American Foundations has become one of the most popular of West
Point’s 17 academic minors. Cadets pursuing the minor complete a rigorous curriculum that includes two cornerstone courses: Political Thought , taught by Dr. Hugh Liebert, which examines the philosophical foundations of the American Republic, and a course on the history of the American founding and the ratification of the Constitution taught by Dr. Rob McDonald. Cadets then select electives from departments across the Academy and culminate their studies with a Firstie-year capstone tutorial focused on primary texts and a comprehensive oral examination.
“American Foundations allowed me to study the United States founding—one of my lifelong passions—from various perspectives, enhancing my knowledge of the period and my appreciation for those who established the United States. Understanding this era more thoroughly, including the military’s role in securing Americans’ liberties and the nation’s independence, immensely contributed to my sense of purpose as an officer in the United States Army.” — 2LT Adam Azmeh ’25
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WEST POINT ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES
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