Johnson Chesnut Whittaker
Johnson Chesnut Whittaker | |
|---|---|
Johnson Chesnut Whittaker as a West Point Cadet. | |
| Born | August 23, 1858 |
| Died | January 14, 1931 (aged 72) |
| Resting place | Orangeburg Cemetery, Orangeburg, South Carolina |
| Education | University of South Carolina United States Military Academy |
| Occupation(s) | School teacher, school administrator, college professor, attorney |
Johnson Chesnut Whittaker (August 23, 1858 – January 14, 1931) was one of the first black men to win an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. When at the academy, he was brutally assaulted and then expelled after being falsely accused and convicted of faking the incident. Over sixty years after his death, his name was formally cleared when he was posthumously commissioned by President Bill Clinton in July 1995.