Sylvanus Thayer: A Biography

James William Kershner

Edited and Updated by Jon Malinowski

This updated biography of Sylvanus Thayer provides a chronological look at the life of the man best known as the “Father of the United States Military Academy.” Jon C. Malinowski’s additions to James William Kershner’s original work makes this the comprehensive biography on Thayer, putting him in proper historical context to show his importance as an engineer, educator, and leader in a formative era of American history.

Meet the Editor

Jon Malinowski, PhD

Raised in Springfield, Vermont, Jon earned a BSFS from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1991. He holds an MA and PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has taught at West Point since 1995. Dr. Malinowski is the author of The West Point Landscape: 1802-1860

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