What Did Schofield Really Say About Discipline?

Contrails, 1990-1991, Volume 36, pp 132-133

Introduction


In the unfortunate age of COVID19, I've heard government officials, martial artists, and even my yoga instructor talk about the value of discipline. As a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy class of 1994, "discipline" is a word which triggers memories of a specific quote from my fourth class year, the infamous "Schofield's quote."

The Air Force Academy Version I Memorized in 1990

This quote, as it appeared in the issue of the cadet handbook "Contrails," issued to my class in the summer of 1990 and preserved at Archive.org as the 1990-1991 edition, features the following text:

"'The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them respect for himself while he who feels, and hence manifests disrespect towards others, especially his subordinates, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.'

(Major General John M. Schofield's  graduation address to the graduating Class of 1879 at West Point.)"

This quote is quite popular in management, leadership, and military books. However, none of them ever have a source, as far as I could find.

I decided that it might be useful to track down the entire so-called "graduation address to the graduating Class of 1879 at West Point" by General Schofield. Yes, as you guess my use of the term "so-called," you know the truth is going to turn out differently than what is first presented!

I was able to track the appearance of this quote only as far back in Contrails to the 1979-1980 edition, again thanks to Archive.org. It appears just the same as the version from my 1990-1991 edition.

Looking towards the present, I noticed that, according to a 2016 article by the Air Force Academy, the text still appears in the 2015-2016 edition, with the attribution being "Lieutenant General John M. Schofield, USA (from his graduation address to the West Point class of 1879)," and with slightly different punctuation.

The Questions

After reading this quote again, I want to know the following:
  1. Is this the real quote? Were there any changes introduced by the Air Force Academy?
  2. How did the Air Force Academy learn of this quote?
  3. Is anyone else using this quote, and what do they say?
  4. What were the circumstances of the quote? Did Schofield really address the graduating class of 1879 at West Point?
  5. What were the circumstances that caused him to say these words?

With that, let the investigation begin.

The Citadel Versions

I next noticed that this quote made many appearances in a sister publication to USAFA's Contrails, namely the "Palmetto," an equivalent predecessor book published by The Citadel for its fourth class cadet references. The earliest edition which contained a version of the Schofield quote appeared in the 1934-1935 publication.

Palmetto, 1934-1935, pp 50-51

This version shows several interesting discrepancies with the previous versions. First, in the last sentence, the word "subordinates" has been replaced by "inferiors." Second, the word "respect" from the Air Force version has "regard" in the Citadel version. Third, the attribution says nothing about a "graduating class" of "1879." In fact, there is a date of the address, "Aug. 11, 1877." That's not even the same year as the previous Air Force edition!

Looking for a newer edition of the same publication, this 1960 version bears a new name, "Guidon," but features the same quote on pp 106-7 with the same variations.

Guidon, 1960-61, pp 106-7

If we move to a more recent edition, from 2009, we see a slight alteration:

Guidon, 2009-2010, pp 74-5

We can see that the Guidon authors from the Citadel recognized that Schofield's quote dates from 1879, not 1877. But how do we know that is correct? And what about the "inferiors" vs "subordinates" issue, or "regard" vs "respect"?

The Management Book Version

Looking farther back in time again, I found a management book published in 1918, authored by David C. Shanks, titled Management of the American Soldier. On pages 13 and 14 we see Schofield's quote again:


Management of the American Solider, David C Shanks, 1918, pp 13-14

This rendition mentions a "bronze tablet on the main sally port at West Point," and lists a date of August 11, 1879. The "August 11" matches the date given by The Citadel, and the 1879 year matches the commonly cited year. There is no mention of a "graduation address." Note though that the use of "regard" and "inferiors" matches the Citadel version and not the Air Force version.

The Congressional Record Version

Eventually I was able to access the US Congressional Record from 1909, and there, behold, was the entire speech, starting at the bottom of the second column (the right side of page 3474), and continuing to the fourth column (the right side of page 3475).

US Congressional Record, 1909, pp 3474-5


Zooming in to the attribution for the speech, we read the following:

Attribution Section

"An address delivered by Maj. Gen. J. M. Schofield to the Corps of Cadets, United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., Monday, August 11, 1879."

The speech is here:

Schofield's Entire Quote

Note a few other subtleties. First, he did not say "in such a tone of voice." This version says "in such tone of voice." It also confirms the Citadel version using "regard" and "inferiors." There are subtle differences in punctuation, and also a "toward" instead of a "towards."

This appears to be the definitive version of Schofield's quote. The entire speech is a good read, and it's a warning against hazing the fourth class cadets. It was apparently entered into the Congressional Record because of hearings about hazing at West Point. Imagine that! Thirty years after Schofield, nothing had changed.

The Irony and Tragedy of Schofield's Warning Against Hazing

Now, service academy graduates like me who had to memorize this speech know it was an essential part of the "training" (a.k.a., "hazing") experience for fourth class cadets. Author Larry Donnithorne did not miss the irony, or tragedy, of this situation, discussing it in his 1994 book The West Point Way of Leadership:


The West Point Way of Leadership, Larry Donnithorne, 1994, pp 152-154

The money quote appears at the very end:

"The awkward fact is that plebes were often required to recite 'Schofield's Definition of Discipline' at the very moment they were being hazed by upperclassmen."

Where Did the Air Force Academy Learn the Quote?

I could not find a definitive answer to this question. It's possible an Air Force author who attended the Citadel brought it with him to USAFA. It's also likely someone who attended West Point brought it over. I was not able to research West Point or Annapolis equivalent fourth class documentation. It's also possible an Air Force author read it in a 1942 book called "The Officer's Guide; A ready reference on customs and correct procedures which pertain to commissioned officers of the Army of the United States." I got some hits on my search terms within this book, but was not able to research the contents. The 1918 book previously cited is also a possible source. I doubt the Air Force consulted the Congressional Record.

Was It a "Graduation Address?"

We appear to have almost the entire picture. One question remains: was this a "graduation address to the graduating class of 1879?" Thanks to contemporary reporting of the time, we know that the class of 1879 graduated on June 13, 1879, not August 11, 1879.

For example, this book about General Hunter Liggett cites a New York Times article titled "West Point Graduates" as being published June 13, 1879.

More usefully perhaps, a 1905 edition of Who's Who in New York notes the entry for Frederic V. Abbot. He was born in Massachusetts and graduated number one from West Point on June 13, 1879.



Who's Who in New York, 1905, p 2

We also know based on easily available records that Schofield was Superintendent of West Point from 1876-1881, which covers this period.

The Definitive Schofield's Quote

According to the Congressional Record of 1909, which appears to be the best version of the speech available, the definitive text and attribution follows.

I underlined portions which differ slightly from the version used at the Air Force Academy, and I've added accurate attribution.

"The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and give commands in such a manner and such tone of voice as to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey. While the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or the other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself. While he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his inferiors, can not fail to inspire hatred against himself."

Major General John M. Schofield, Superintendent of West Point, addressing the Corps of Cadets, 11 August 1879.

Conclusion

I would like nothing more than to see two changes introduced at the service academies which integrate Schofield's quote.

First, I would like to see them adopt this definitive version. If there is an older, more definitive version, I'm also interested in seeing that!

If you're wondering why any of this matters, I see it as a version of "intellectual" and "historical discipline." If we're going to take the time and effort to learn something we consider useful, it is intellectually sloppy to memorize an incorrect version.

Second, I would like to see service academy leaders adopt the spirit of this quote, and not use it as a hazing tool.

That would be a fitting legacy for a Superintendent who sought to show the tragedy and poison of hazing in military training environments.

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