Join the West Point Society of the Carolinas for their annual Founder’s Day Brunch on March 23, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is open to all graduates, family, friends, and future members of the Long Gray Line. Ticket purchases made through Sallyport by March 9, 2025 will get an “early bird” discount. Tickets purchased by midnight on Friday, March 9 are $67; from March 10-18 the price is $72. Cadet Candidates from the Class of 2029 can attend for free but will need to register. 

Founder’s Day is a time-honored tradition where graduates get together to celebrate the founding of the academy. The first Founder’s Day was celebrated in 1902 to honor 100 years of graduates.

George Washington first proposed a military academy in 1783, but critics deemed this idea as incompatible with democratic institutions, fearing the creation of a European-like military aristocracy. Finally, two decades after Washington’s first proposal, on March 16, 1802, the United States Military Academy officially opened.