Frederick Augustus Irving

Who was Frederick Augustus Irving?

Frederick Augustus Irving was an US Army major general who served as superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1951-1954. Irving was a West Point graduate of the class of 1917, and during the First World War he took part in the St. Mihiel offensive in France. He was wounded during battle and subsequently received the Silver Star for "leading his company through heavy artillery and machine gun fire."

Irving was also active during World War II, leading the 24th Infantry Division during the invasions of Hollandia, New Guinea and Leyte in the Philippines. He was commandant of cadets at West Point from 1941-1942.

Irving's service in the American military extended thirty-seven years, and he retired from service in 1954. He died in 1995 of congestive heart failure at Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. He was 101.