Dennis Hart Mahan

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.

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.

[2] He was raised and educated in Norfolk, Virginia, and in 1820 received an appointment to the United States Military Academy from U.S. Representative Thomas Newton Jr.[2][3] Mahan graduated in 1824, first in his class.

[2] 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.

[2] 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.

[6] His writings became standard textbooks for the armies of several countries, and remained required reading from the time they were written until after World War II.

[7] A proponent of a disciplined professional army in an era when the United States relied on a small standing army augmented with minimally trained volunteers and militia, Mahan strongly advocated providing discipline and training for militia and volunteers as a means of improving their performance on the battlefield.

[7] As a strategist, Mahan advocated for bold measures in battle rather than limited warfare, believing that once a country committed its military to war, the object was to gain an advantageous peace, which could be done only by decisive action.

[2] On September 16, 1871, Mahan began a Hudson River steamboat trip to New York City, where he intended to consult with his doctor.

[9] The site of Fort Mahan is now part of the National Park Service's Civil War Defenses of Washington, and is located at Benning Road and 42nd Street, NE.

Mahan, salted paper photo, circa 1856
Mahan in an autographed cabinet photo, circa 1870
Mahan Hall, United States Military Academy, 2003