Every military training school has a hierarchical structure in which upperclassmen provide leadership and guidance to the new classes. But this was not the case for the 207 civilians who would later become affectionately known as the ‘59ers. They were the first to cross through the gates of Lowry Air Force Base outside Denver, Colorado and emerge on the other side as new cadets in the Air Force Academy’s first class, and they were the first to graduate on June 3rd, 1959. They were the first experimenters and creators of new traditions for a new school. Their first day was intense - they received haircuts, were assigned uniforms, learned to salute and use appropriate customs and courtesies, and were quickly trained to march in Wing Formation, all before mid-afternoon so they could march at the opening ceremonies later that same day. What followed that first day was eight weeks of intense military and physical training. Of the 207 graduates, which included Rhodes Scholar and a former football All-American, 205 were commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in the USAF and one joined the Marine Corps. One graduate had been found to have a physical ailment preventing them from being commissioned.
Before the ‘59ers, the United States Military Academy and United States Naval Academy were the primary sources of officers for the Air Force and its predecessors, the Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces. Today, thanks to the trailblazing efforts and dedication of the first graduating class of 1959, the United States Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is recognized as a top educational institution with a diverse mix of civilian and military faculty that provides a uniquely accessible learning environment to prepare students to become some of our nation’s greatest leaders.
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.29.2020 06:24 |
| Photo ID: | 6406535 |
| VIRIN: | 201029-F-GK113-004 |
| Resolution: | 1350x1080 |
| Size: | 1.47 MB |
| Location: | SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, RP, DE |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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