professor James H. Stith became the first tenured African American Professor. In 1979, Cadet, later General, Vincent K. Brooks became the first African American to lead the Corps of Cadets. Kristin Baker, ten years later, became the first female First Captain, the highest-ranking senior cadet at the academy in 1989. Six other women have been appointed as First Captain: Grace H. Chung in 2003, Stephanie Hightower in 2005, Lindsey Danilack in 2013, Simone Askew in 2017, Reilly McGinnis in 2020, and Lauren Drysdale in 2022. Simone Askew was the first African American woman to lead the Corps. In the 21st century, women comprise approximately 20% of entering new cadets.
In 1985, cadets were formally authorized to declare an academic major; all previous graduates had been awarded a general Bachelor of Science degree. Five years later there was a major revision of the Fourth-Class System, as the Cadet Leader Development System (CLDS) became the guidance for the development of all four classes. The class of 1990 was …
