Flipper, Henry Ossian
1856-1940 · Contribution: 1873-1882
Military & Safety
Became, in 1877, the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Army's first Black commissioned officer
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Quick facts
- Born
- 1856-1940
- Category
- Military & Safety
Impact on the world
Flipper broke the color line at West Point and served with distinction as a Buffalo Soldier officer and engineer, even as racism ultimately drove him from the Army.
Sources
- National Park Service
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