The Knox Trophy, awarded to the USMA
The Knox Trophy is an award that was established on October 8, 1910, and given annually by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York to the United States Military Academy cadet with the highest rating for military efficiency. Named in honor of the Revolutionary War General Henry Knox, the first US Secretary of War. The original trophy, made by Tiffany & Company, was initially kept on display in the office of the West Point Commandant and is the oldest continuously presented award at the US Military Academy.
2020 marked the 110th anniversary of the presentation of the Knox Trophy. According to the Sons of the Revolution in New York (SRNY), the trophy was designed by Tiffany & Company and stands 16″ tall and has a diameter of 9″. It was created when Edmund Wetmore was the President of SRNY.
On Saturday, October 8, 1910, to celebrate the anniversary of the Continental Army’s October 1777 victorious Saratoga Campaign that convinced the French to join the war, the Sons of the Revolution (NY) First Vice President Mr. Robert Olyphant, on behalf of the Society visited with a contingency and addressed the Cadets at West Point and presented them the large silver cup, the Knox Trophy. Lieutenant Colonel W. S. Sibley, USA, Commandant of Cadets, received the cup on behalf of the United States Military Academy. Edmund Wetmore, President of the Sons of the Revolution in New York, could not attend due to illness.
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick William Sibley – Commandant of Cadets at West Point, February 1, 1908-February 1, 1911
“It is especially appropriate that such a trophy should be presented by the descendants of the noble men who so heroically fought for and achieved the independence of this Nation to the young graduate about to enter upon his career as a soldier whose duty it will be to defend this liberty so hardly won by our ancestors. I thank you in the name of the Corps of Cadets.”
The Knox Trophy exhibit at Fraunces Tavern Museum was designed and created by former SRNY President, Dr. Laurence Simpson. Since the early 1960s, each winner has received a similar keepsake Tiffany silver Revere Bowl. The Cadet keepsake bowl, alongside a print of General Henry Knox, is on display at Fraunces Tavern in lower Manhattan. The Sons of the Revolution of New York owns and operates Fraunces Tavern near Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. It’s one of the most prestigious and famous historic landmarks in the United States. If you haven’t been, you need to put a part museum and part live tavern/restaurant on your bucket list.
Why name the trophy after General Knox? Even though he was often referred to as “the forgotten General”, Knox was actually one of General Washington’s three closest generals and one of his best friends. But many don’t know that not only was he the father of the American artillery, he was also the co-founder of the US Navy. Knox was also the founder of the first Military Arsenal (Springfield, MA), and America’s first military Artillery Academy (Pluckemin, NJ). He commanded West Point, which later became the USMA. Knox organized what is known today as organized Society of Cincinnati, and became the first US Secretary of War. A noted bookseller in his early days, he was also a brick maker, a cattle raiser, a ship builder, a lumber cutter, and a dedicated family man with one wife and 12 children. Ironic that such a dedicated military man didn’t die on the battlefield, but was actually taken down and killed by a lodged chicken bone. True.
What type of Cadets have won the Knox Trophy? You will see some of the top Army officers on that list: William Westmoreland, Pete Dawkins (1959 Heisman Trophy winner/halfback), and several others, including John P. McConnell, who was later the US Air Force Chief of Staff. Four of the Knox trophy winners became four-star generals. Three winners are currently stationed at West Point.
The majority of the winners were also the First Captain at the time of their graduation, the highest-ranking senior cadet at the Academy. The entire list is at the end of the post.
” West Point chooses the recipient each year. Currently the award is presented to the graduating senior cadet with the highest score in military science. The award is given annually at a special ceremony prior to graduation. Each winner’s name and the year they receive the award are inscribed on the keepsake trophy.”
Dr. Laurence S. Simpson, president – Sons of the Revolution New York
According to Dan Coleman, a Sons of the Revolution in NY president in the late 1970s and early 1980s, “the trophy was prominently displayed in the foyer of the hall where the ceremony was held.” The photo above was taken in Eisenhower Hall, a later building used for the ceremony.
“The cadets undergo months and months, years actually of leadership evaluations, testing, training, and so on, since the trophy winners seemed to be First Captains because the First Captain excelled in leadership.”
Sherman L. Fleek, Lt. Col. US Army (RET) USMA Command Historian
Lt. Col. Fleek has promised to let us know when he locates the actual trophy. The Sons of the Revolution in New York are also investigating where the original trophy is being kept and displayed.
No one seems to know exactly where the original trophy resides today, but military officials suspect it is somewhere in the USMA West Point Museum. It sounds like another trip to the USMA in West Point is in order.
Researching further, I found that the Sons of the Revolution in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts presented another Knox Trophy and Knox Metal from 1922 to 1940. Why a state-level organization presented the award is unclear, but nonetheless, the name was clearly to mark artillery excellence in the name of Major General Henry Knox.
On another note, interestingly, 1924 also is the year an annual competition to determine the best small cavalry unit in the Army was established. Named the Draper Combat Leadership Award, this cavalry competition was first held at Fort Riley, Kansas– then the home of the Cavalry School. Click Here to read more.
Most of the recipients were the First Captain of their graduating class, but winning the award is not required. Some of America’s top Army officers are on that list: William Westmoreland, Pete Dawkins (1959 Heisman Trophy winner/halfback), and several others, including John P. McConnell, who was later the US Air Force Chief of Staff. Four of the Knox trophy winners became four-star generals.
As of 1987, three winners were stationed at West Point. The 1955 winner, Col. Lee D. Olvey, head of the Department of Social Sciences. The 1968 winner LTC John L. Throckmorton, Jr., Treasurer of the USMA, LTC Robert H. Baldwin, Jr., professor / Department of Social Sciences.
First Release: October 3, 2009
Updated: April 17, 2025
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