The Peacock Military Academy was a

college-preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. It was founded in 1894 by Dr. Wesley Peacock, Sr., who envisioned "the most thorough military school west of the Mississippi, governed by the

honor system An honor system or honesty system is a philosophical way of running a variety of endeavors based on trust, honor, and honesty. Something that operates under the rule of the "honor system" is usually something that does not have strictly enfo ...

, and conducted on the principles of a cultured home." The Academy was chartered in 1904 and became one of the first

JROTC The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC -- commonly pronounced "JAY-rotsee") is a federal program sponsored by the United States Armed Forces in high schools and also in some middle schools across the United States and at US military ...

schools recognized by the Department of War who detailed Colonel George Leroy Brown there as the first commandant of cadets and professor of military science and tactics. Later staff would include future President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

Henry Hutchings,

Arthur Knickerbocker, Colonel Charles C. Todd, and many other graduates of

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

. The cavalry branch of the Academy, in Dallas, helped establish the 124th Cavalry Regiment of the Texas National Guard, and the naval branch in Corpus Christi was the first of its kind authorized by Congress. Following World War I, a forerunner of the

Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

leased the Academy for the rehabilitation of over 5,000 veterans. During World War II,

J. Watt Page asked the Academy to "plan, organize, and conduct a training school for Texas Defense Guard officers", following a failed attempt at

St. Edward's University St. Edward's University is a private, Catholic university in Austin, Texas. It was founded and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition. History Founding and early history St. Edward's University was founded by the Reverend Edward Sorin, CSC ...

. The second Training and Research Unit, "Camp Peacock", was established in October 1942 and succeeded in creating the standard model of training until 1956. The Academy also produced the "Texas State Guard Officer's Reference Book". In 1956,

Kearie Berry asked the Academy to assist in the establishment of a permanent

professional military education Professional Military Education (PME) refers to the professional training, development, and schooling of military personnel. It encompasses many schools, universities, and training programs designed to foster leadership in military service members. ...

institute for

Texas Military Forces The Texas Military Forces (TXMF) are the principal instrument through which the Texas Military Department (TMD) executes security policy for Texas, which has the second-largest population and border in the United States, and the 9th-largest econ ...

which resulted in the Texas National Guard Academy. Donald Peacock was inducted to the Texas Military Hall of Honor in 1982 for his contributions. By its closing in 1973, the Peacock Military Academy was nationally recognized as the "West Point of Texas" and had graduated over 15,000 cadets, many of whom served and commanded in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and in the Korean and Vietnamese campaigns of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

Notable alumni

Paul McDonald Calvo Paul McDonald Calvo (born July 25, 1934) is a Guamanian politician who served as the 3rd Governor of Guam from 1979 to 1983. Before his accession to the governorship, Calvo served as the Guam Legislature from 1971 to 1975. He is a member of the R ...

Virgilio Elizondo Virgilio P. Elizondo (August 28, 1935 – March 14, 2016) was a Mexican-American Catholic priest and community activist, who was also a leading scholar of liberation theology and Hispanic theology. He was widely regarded as "the father of U.S. Latin ...

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

* Joseph Franklin Wilson

Media

The Immortal Alamo ''The Immortal Alamo'' is an American silent film released on May 25, 1911. ''The Immortal Alamo'' is the earliest film version of the events surrounding the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. The film was directed by William F. Haddock, and produced by ...

References

{{authority control Schools in San Antonio Defunct United States military academies 1894 establishments in Texas Boarding schools in Texas Preparatory schools in Texas Military high schools in the United States 1973 disestablishments in Texas

Notable alumni

Media

See also

References