Annual Report of the Superintendent.   1954
 
U.S.M.A.  Annual Report of the Superintendent, 1953. Published April 5, 1954. [iv] + 112pp.  USMA Library: U410.E1 U61 1953, cop.2.


Page [ii] lists the 16 members of the Academic Board. They include Major General Frederick Augustus Irving, Superintendent, Brigadier General Harris Jones, Dean of the Academic Board, and Colonel William Weston Bessell, Jr., Professor of Mathematics.

As of 1 September 1949 the Class of 1953 consisted of 697 members [When was R-day? Had some already left?]. Of these 512 completed the full four-year course.  510 graduated 2 June 1953, one a month later, and one was still uncertain. 503 were commissioned as second lieutenant. [p. 5].

“Effective 1 July 1952, Colonel William W. Bessell, Jr., Professor and Head of Department of Mathematics, was appointed Chairman of the Admission Committee, replacing Colonel Boyd W. Bartlett, Professor and head of Department of Electricity, who had served as Chairman of the Committee since the spring of 1948.” [p. 7].

A report on the Department of Mathematics is on pp. 15-21. A photocopy has been made. Here are the highlights:

1.    Calculus taught for 41 1/3 hours to plebes and 77 1/3 to yearlings. DE for 30 2/3 hours.
2.     Granville, Smith, and Longley was the text. It was used from 1908 to 1945 and then was used anew in the fall of 1952. Calculus by Smail was used in the meantime. This was supplemented by Special Topic Memorandums. Five new STMs were prepared during the year. Yates’s Differential Equations was the text for DE.
3.     There was a one-hour lecture on the history of mathematics.
4.     These is a discussion of “Training Aids,” including 11 plastic “Total Differential” models.
5.     The Cadet Mathematics Forum, for 40 upper classmen, met 9 times. Lecture topics listed.
6.     The staff consisted of 38 faculty, including 29 USMA grads. 27 have graduate degrees in mathematics, engineering, or education --- 3 Doctorates and 24 Masters.
7.     There is some mention of entrance exams being given by ETS. Sort this out.
Section 7, Lectures, pp. 36-42, has only one in mathematics: Col. O. G. Haywood, USAF, on “Mathematics in Modern Warfare.”  [p. 37]. Other departments have more.

An addition to the Library was started in June and is scheduled for completion by 1 May 1954. It will provide 6800 sq. ft. of additional stack and office space and an elevator. $13, 150 has been allotted to convert the existing Library attic into usable stack space. [p. 67].

Section 16 deals with the Library, pp. 86-87. Total accessions as of 30 June 1953 were 144,210 [yet the accession number on this volume is 231050].  Annual circulation was 47,429.