The Curious Tradition of the West Point Goat

The Takeaway | May 28, 2014

All eyes were on President Obama at the West Point graduation ceremony Wednesday, drawing attention away from the graduating cadets. But one cadet—Matthew A. Mayeaux—was still singled out for a big cheer.

Who is Mayeaux? Why did he get a bigger cheer than the commander in chief? And why was he handed a bag of cash on stage? 

For uninitiated, non-West Point grads, Matthew A. Mayeaux joined an exclusive club yesterday. A club including Civil War hero General George Custer: The club of the goats.

Was it for his academic achievements, athletic prowess, or military skills? Nope. Mayeaux, along with Custer and over 200 West Point grads throughout history, was named the goat for graduating last in his class. 

For a look at this long running tradition of honoring the last-ranked graduate, we turn to author James Robbins. He collected the history of the goat in his book, "Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett, and the Goats of West Point."

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