Stronger than Custom: West Point and the Admission of Women

(Hardback)

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The gender barrier that stood for nearly two centuries at the United States Military Academy was toppled in 1976. Based on more than one hundred interviews, thousands of pages of Academy documents, and a wide array of secondary sources, this is the first comprehensive history of what the admission of women at West Point meant for the Academy, for the Army, and for the United States. The story of how West Point prepared for the precedent-setting arrival of women has never before been thoroughly told. Given the current interest in the role of women in the armed forces, and the attention focused on The Citadel and VMI when they admitted women, this is a topical story that will appeal to a general audience. Janda explains how and why female cadets were admitted to West Point and how they responded to the challenge of confronting 175 years of all-male Academy tradition. He argues that neither feminists nor Congress forced the Academy to change standards for women, and that Academy leaders were pioneers in exploring the implications of bringing women into formerly all-male military academies. Stronger than Custom also examines the sacrifices made by the first women cadets at the Academy, each of whom confronted an array of personal and professional hurdles on the road to graduation. When 62 of the original 119 women who entered the Academy in 1976 graduated four years later, they did so in triumph.

Reviews

"Lance Janda has written a landmark book about the U.S. Military Academy's most momentous challenge. Combining intelligence and candor, Stronger than Custom is more than worthy of its complex subject." Thomas Fleming author of West Point: The Men and Times of the United States Military Academy "Lance Janda has captured it...how and why what happened to us happened those first four years for women at West Point. His thorough research and clear prose make this work a must addition to all libraries! West Point is truly an enduring institution; tradition starts everyday and Lance shows us how the tradition of women at West Point may have changed its face, but has left untouched the duty, honor, country." Carol Barkalow author of In the Men's House: An Inside Account of Life in the Army by One of West Point's First Female Graduates

Author Bio

LANCE JANDA is an assistant professor of history at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma. He serves as the book review editor of Minerva: Quarterly Journal of Women in the Military.