U N I T E D   S T A T E S   A
I R   F O R C E

BRIGADIER GENERAL ROBERT F.
MCDERMOTT

Retired Aug. 1, 1968.   Died Aug. 28,
2006.

The background and
experience of Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott, dean of the
faculty of the U.S. Air Force Academy, is a record of startling
contrasts -- of the old and the new -- of heritage and frontiers.

He is a graduate of the oldest public school in America, the
Boston Latin School. He attended the oldest private military
college, Norwich University, and graduated from the oldest service
academy, West Point. He holds a master's degree from the oldest
university, Harvard, and a doctor of laws degree from St. Louis
University, the oldest university west of the Mississippi.

In contrast with this academic background, he has been
associated with the founding of a new institution, the youngest of
our service academies, since its establishment in 1954, He was
appointed by President Eisenhower as the first permanent professor
of the Air Force Academy in 1957, and as the first permanent dean of
the faculty in 1959. His promotion to brigadier general that
accompanied his appointment as dean made him the youngest general or
flag officer on active duty at that time.

General
McDermott's military background has an analogous mixture of
contrasting experiences. He served as a combat pilot and operations
officer of a fighter-bomber group in the European Theater during
World War II; and he has served as a staff officer in a theater
headquarters and in the Pentagon.

His performance is
attested to by his command pilot rating and the combat decorations
he wears -- the Bronze Star, the Air Medal with five oak leaf
clusters and the European Theater of Operations Ribbon with six
battle stars -- as well as by the Distinguished Service Medal, the
Legion of Merit and Commendation Medal he received for meritorious
staff work.

From this contrasting background of tradition
and youthful achievement General McDermott has emerged as a
recognized leader in higher education and pioneer in military
education. The recognition he has received in the form of
appointments, promotions and awards is a reflection of his
innovations and accomplishments as the academic administrator of the
U.S. Air Force Academy. The innovations he has already introduced in
the service academy system of education include the "whole man"
concept in selecting cadets and a program of advanced and elective
courses to enrich the prescribed curriculum.

The concept of
using measures of a candidate's moral and leadership attributes as
well as his physical and mental qualifications for selection was
introduced in 1956, for the first time at any service academy. Also
in 1956, as another service academy first, General McDermott
introduced a comprehensive curriculum enrichment program designed to
provide each cadet with a challenge to advance academically as far
and as fast as he can in accordance with his aptitudes, interests
and prior preparation.

General McDermott's foreseeable goals
for the academy include the establishment of an Astronautical
Research Laboratory and an extension of the enrichment program to
include graduate education opportunities for exceptional cadets,
leading to the award of the master's degree. Short of accomplishment
of these goals, however, General McDermott can take pride in these
definitive results of his pioneering innovations and academic
administration; the superior performance of Air Force Academy cadets
on the Graduate Record Examination aptitude and area achievement
tests; the number of Rhodes Scholarships won by academy graduates in
leading civilian graduate schools of engineering and political
science; and the superior performance of academy graduates in flying
training and in operational duty assignments.

(Up to date as
of March 12, 1963)