West Point Appoints Its First Black Superintendent

 Photo credit: U.S. Military Academy/AP

Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams recently made history by becoming the first African-American superintendent at the United States Military Academy at West Point in its 216-year history, reports CNN.

Williams graduated from West Point in 1963 and earned his master’s degrees in leadership development, military art and science, and national security and strategic studies. Following graduation, he went on to become the deputy chief of staff of the United States Army in Europe in Germany, and the assistant surgeon general for warrior care and transition. He also served as the deputy commanding general in the Republic of Korea and as the commander of the United States Army Africa in Italy. During that time, then President Barack Obama created a command center in Liberia and tasked Williams with leading the U.S.’s response to the Ebola crisis. Most recently, the West Point alum was the commander for the Allied Land Command for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Turkey.

William’s appointment comes less than a year after Simone Askew made history by becoming the first African American woman the academy has ever had to serve in the highest role in the chain of command for the cadets.

Williams is the academy’s 60^th superintendent and he succeeds Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, who has been in the position since 2013.