USMA Library Homepage: USMA Library Archives and Special Collections: Our Collections

Service Alert

USMA Library Archives and Special Collections services will close to the public effective Friday, May 30, 2025, and to the USMA community on Friday, June 27, 2025, to facilitate relocation and temporary storage of the collections offsite while renovations are completed in our new dedicated facility in Cullum Hall.
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The materials housed in the USMA Library Archives & Special Collections comprise three categories: Archives, Special Collections, & Manuscripts. See below for more detail and information on searching our holdings.

Search the Archives

USMA ArchivesSpace is our new database for searching and viewing the official records of the U.S. Military Academy (Archives). This database is a work in progress. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, please contact us for further assistance.

Found something you would like to consult? Learn how to plan your visit.

Search ArchivesSpace Here:

New to Archival Research?

Get started with Using Archives: A Guide to Effective Research.

Special Collections

The Special Collections feature a variety of published materials. The collections contain books, maps, and West Point publications. The book collection includes early European and American imprints; the Sylvanus Thayer Collection - acquired in the early years of the Academy; books by and about Academy alumni; the Patton and Bradley collections; and books on the history of West Point, the Academy, the Hudson Valley, and the military.

Highlights from our Special Collections

A Map of the United States of America, as Settled by the Peace of 1783
This map details the extent of the newly formed United States of America at the close of the Revolutionary War. It is also available in our digital collections and is just one of many fascinating maps that we hold in Special Collections.
The Colored Cadet at West Point: Autobiography of Lieut. Henry Ossian Flipper, U.S.A., First Graduate of Color from the U.S. Military Academy
This first edition copy of Henry O. Flipper's (USMA 1877) autobiography details his time and experiences at the U.S. Military Academy as he worked to become the institution's first known black graduate. Flipper published this memoir in 1878, just one year after graduating, and it tells, among other things, of his four years being "silenced," or completely ostracized, by his fellow cadets.
Report of the Admission of Women to the U. S. Military Academy: Project Athena
This volume, published in 1977 after the Plebe year of the first class of female cadets (Class of 1980), is one of four annual reports. These reports described and evaluated the admission of women to the U.S. Military Academy and the progress of that first class of women during their four years at West Point. Volume 1 includes data on opinions of the public, West Point leadership, and current cadets on this change to the student body.

Search Our Special Collections

The materials held in our Special Collections are all available to search in our library catalog, Scout, or simply use the "Search Scout" box located at the top of this page.

To narrow results to Special Collections only, follow these steps:

After searching for your keywords, locate the "Refine Your Results" column on the left hand side of the screen.
Under "Availability" select "Held by Library"
Under "Location" select "Special Collection"

If you are unable to find what you are looking for, please contact us for further assistance.

Found something you would like to consult? Learn how to plan your visit.

Manuscripts

The manuscripts collection consists largely of material generated by or related to Academy alumni, with some non-graduate papers as well. The collection encompasses personal papers, such as letters, diaries, memoirs, photographs, scrapbooks, memorabilia and other ephemera relating to cadet life and the careers of armed forces personnel.

Highlights from our Manuscripts Collection

George Washington Letter Discussing the Treason of Benedict Arnold
This is an example of materials in our collection that predate the founding of the U.S. Military Academy. In this letter, George Washington warns the commanding officer of the West Point garrison that the British troops will likely have knowledge of their defenses after Benedict Arnold's betrayal.
Cadet Letters (Samuel Newman, USMA 1808)
Our collections feature many letters written by cadets during their time at West Point. The earliest of these are from CDT Samuel Newman written in 1807 and 1808, just a few years after the academy was founded in 1802.
Scrapbooks (Omar N. Bradley, USMA 1915)
Our collections features many scrapbooks from cadets' time at West Point and from officers' later careers. One of the largest sets in our collection is from GEN Omar N. Bradley. Along with his personal papers and other items, we have many scrapbooks covering Bradley's career from his time as a cadet through his time as a five star General of the Army.

Search Our Manuscripts

Many of the materials held in our Manuscripts collection are available to search in our library catalog, Scout, or simply use the "Search Scout" box located at the top of this page.

To narrow results to Manuscripts only, follow these steps:

After searching for your keywords, locate the "Refine Your Results" column on the left hand side of the screen.
Under "Availability" select "Held by Library"
Under "Location" select "Manuscripts"

We also have a variety of finding aids for our Manuscripts collection available on our digital collections page.

Manuscripts Finding Aids

If you are unable to find what you are looking for, please contact us for further assistance.

Found something you would like to consult? Learn how to plan your visit.

Archives and Special Collections Tutorials

These short, interactive tutorials will help you get starting using ASC for your research.