by Colonel David ArneyAfter Thayer studied the military and educational systems of Europe, he reorganized the Academy according to the French system of the Ecole Polytechnic. The Department of Mathematics faculty (which included as Professor the distinguished scientist and surveyor Andrew Ellicon, and the famous French mathematician Claude Crozet whom Thayer recruited during his European trip to bring to USMA and America his expertise in Descriptive Geometry, advanced mathematics, and fortifications engineering) combined the French theoretical mathematics program with the practical methods of the English to establish a new model for America's program of undergraduate mathematics. This program of instruction in Mathematics grew over several decades and was emulated by many other schools in the country. The initial purpose of the Military Academy was to educate and train military engineers. Sylvanus Thayer, the "Father of the Military Academy" and Superintendent from 1817-1833, instituted a four-year curriculum with supporting pedagogy to fulfill this purpose. Thayer's curriculum was very heavy in mathematics; from Thayer's time to the late 1800's, cadets took the equivalent of 54 credit hours of mathematics courses. The topics covered in these courses were algebra, trigonometry, geometry, descriptive geometry (engineering drawing), analytic geometry, and calculus. Over the years, the entering cadets became better prepared, and fewer of the elementary subjects were needed. During Davies' tenure (1823-37), calculus was introduced as a requirement for all cadets, and was used in the development of science and engineering courses. The time allotted for the mathematics curriculum decreased to 48 credit hours by 1940, and to 30 credit hours by 1950. During the 1940's, courses in probability & statistics and in differential equations were introduced into the core curriculum, and a limited electives program was started for advanced students. In the 1960's, department head Charles Nicholas (previously one of the organizers of the Central Intelligence Agency) wrote a rigorous and comprehensive mathematics textbook (the "Green Death") that cadets used during their entire core mathematics program. With this text, he was able to adapt the mathematics program to keep up with the increasing demands of modem science and engineering. In the 1970's, Academy-wide curricular changes provided opportunities for cadets to major in mathematics.During the 1980's, a mathematical sciences consulting element was established that allowed faculty members and cadets to support the research needs of the Army. This type of research activity continues today in the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Mathematical Sciences Center of Excellence and in the Operations Research Center (ORCEN). In 1990 the Department introduced a new core mathematics curriculum which included a course in discrete dynamical systems, with embedded linear algebra. In that same year, the department changed its name to the Department of Mathematical Sciences to reflect broader interests in applied mathematics, operations research, and computation.