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In 1871, he was appointed to the board of overseers for the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. In 1863, Mahan was an original incorporator of the National Academy of Sciences. Floyd of Virginia appointed Mahan to the board that recommended a route for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to run from Cumberland, Maryland to a terminus in Wheeling, West Virginia, which was then part of Virginia. In 1828, he was elected to membership in France's Société de Géographie.
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Alfred thayer mahan children professional#
In addition to becoming a member of several scientific and professional societies, he also carried out special appointments that took advantage of his technical skills. Mahan was subsequently appointed dean of the faculty and became a recognized authority on engineering. He resigned his second lieutenant's commission in 1832 to become chairman of West Point's Engineering Department, and he remained on the faculty until his death. Upon returning to West Point in 1830, he was promoted to professor of civil and military Engineering. In 1826, Mahan went to Europe to study advanced engineering, and from 1829 to 1830 he was a student at France's school of engineers and artillery in Metz. Start of career Mahan, salted paper photo, circa 1856 After graduation, he continued to serve on the faculty. His academic acumen was recognized while he was still a student, and in his third year at West Point superintendent Sylvanus Thayer appointed him acting assistant professor of mathematics. Mahan graduated in 1824, first in his class. He was raised and educated in Norfolk, Virginia, and in 1820 received an appointment to the United States Military Academy from U.S.
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Mahan was born in New York City on April 2, 1802, the son of Irish Catholic immigrants John Mahan and Mary (Cleary) Mahan. On September 16, 1871, Mahan was aboard a Hudson River steamboat on his way to New York City to visit his doctor when he became distraught over the thought of retiring and committed suicide by jumping into the boat's paddlewheel. In 1871, West Point's board of overseers recommended that he be retired because he was in ill health. Mahan taught many of the military leaders who served on each side during the American Civil War, and his extensive writings on military engineering, fortifications, and strategy became required reading among military professionals through World War I. He resigned his commission in 1832 to become chairman of West Point's Engineering Department, and he remained on the faculty until his death. Mahan received advanced training in engineering during an extended trip to Europe, including attendance at the French engineer and artillery school in Metz. Mahan's mathematical and engineering skills were recognized by his instructors and the superintendent, Sylvanus Thayer, and he began teaching courses as an acting assistant professor during his third year as a student. He was an 1824 graduate of the United States Military Academy ranked first in class, Mahan's high academic standing earned him appointment to the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
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He was the father of American naval historian and theorist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan.Ī native of New York City, Mahan was raised and educated in Norfolk, Virginia. 1839-1871, his death)ĭennis Hart Mahan (Mă-hăn) (Ap– September 16, 1871) was a noted American military theorist, civil engineer and professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1824–1871. West Point Cemetery, West Point, New York
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