USMA Class of 1920. Cullum No. 6545.
Brigadier General.
He was the son of William Weston Bessell Sr. and May Hall Bessell.
On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York.
They were the parents of one child.
In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone.
They had no children.
Born into a military family he lived with his maternal grandmother and aunt in Mesa, Arizona after the death of his mother. He graduated sixth of 270 from the United States Military Academy in 1920. In 1922, he earned a degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Many years later, he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rensselaer. On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York. He was assigned to San Antonio, Texas with the 2nd Engineers. From 1924 to 1928, he was Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, Indiana. He created the first physical education program at Rose. Years later he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rose. From 1928 to 1932 he taught math at West Point. Next, he was in Hawaii for a short time and then became the resident engineer in Zanesville, Ohio where he selected the site for the Bolivar Dam and supervised its construction. From 1936 until World War II he was with the American Battle Monuments Commission in France where he received the Legion d'Honneur. In 1939, he was in the District of Columbia as chief engineer of personnel and oversaw the mobilization and training of the Corps which grew from 800 to 22,000 officers. In 1942, he was assigned to the War Department General Staff and helped organize the Joint War Plans Committee and was promoted to brigadier general. He was a key staff member at conferences in Quebec, Malta, Cairo and Yalta where he helped monitor and plan the war and postwar decisions were made. After the war was over he returned to his place of birth, Puerto Rico. In 1947, he returned to the rank of colonel and became Professor of Mathematics and Academic Board member at West Point. He introduced technology to the classroom and pioneered the use of computers in the study of mathematics. For many years he was the chair of the Academic Board's Admissions Committee. In 1956, his wife, Katherine became ill and passed away. In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone. In 1959, he became Dean of the Academic Board and returned to his general officer rank. He served 45 years in the United States Army with 22 years at West Point.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
Brigadier General.
He was the son of William Weston Bessell Sr. and May Hall Bessell.
On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York.
They were the parents of one child.
In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone.
They had no children.
Born into a military family he lived with his maternal grandmother and aunt in Mesa, Arizona after the death of his mother. He graduated sixth of 270 from the United States Military Academy in 1920. In 1922, he earned a degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Many years later, he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rensselaer. On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York. He was assigned to San Antonio, Texas with the 2nd Engineers. From 1924 to 1928, he was Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, Indiana. He created the first physical education program at Rose. Years later he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rose. From 1928 to 1932 he taught math at West Point. Next, he was in Hawaii for a short time and then became the resident engineer in Zanesville, Ohio where he selected the site for the Bolivar Dam and supervised its construction. From 1936 until World War II he was with the American Battle Monuments Commission in France where he received the Legion d'Honneur. In 1939, he was in the District of Columbia as chief engineer of personnel and oversaw the mobilization and training of the Corps which grew from 800 to 22,000 officers. In 1942, he was assigned to the War Department General Staff and helped organize the Joint War Plans Committee and was promoted to brigadier general. He was a key staff member at conferences in Quebec, Malta, Cairo and Yalta where he helped monitor and plan the war and postwar decisions were made. After the war was over he returned to his place of birth, Puerto Rico. In 1947, he returned to the rank of colonel and became Professor of Mathematics and Academic Board member at West Point. He introduced technology to the classroom and pioneered the use of computers in the study of mathematics. For many years he was the chair of the Academic Board's Admissions Committee. In 1956, his wife, Katherine became ill and passed away. In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone. In 1959, he became Dean of the Academic Board and returned to his general officer rank. He served 45 years in the United States Army with 22 years at West Point.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
USMA Class of 1920. Cullum No. 6545.
Brigadier General.
He was the son of William Weston Bessell Sr. and May Hall Bessell.
On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York.
They were the parents of one child.
In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone.
They had no children.
Born into a military family he lived with his maternal grandmother and aunt in Mesa, Arizona after the death of his mother. He graduated sixth of 270 from the United States Military Academy in 1920. In 1922, he earned a degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Many years later, he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rensselaer. On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York. He was assigned to San Antonio, Texas with the 2nd Engineers. From 1924 to 1928, he was Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, Indiana. He created the first physical education program at Rose. Years later he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rose. From 1928 to 1932 he taught math at West Point. Next, he was in Hawaii for a short time and then became the resident engineer in Zanesville, Ohio where he selected the site for the Bolivar Dam and supervised its construction. From 1936 until World War II he was with the American Battle Monuments Commission in France where he received the Legion d'Honneur. In 1939, he was in the District of Columbia as chief engineer of personnel and oversaw the mobilization and training of the Corps which grew from 800 to 22,000 officers. In 1942, he was assigned to the War Department General Staff and helped organize the Joint War Plans Committee and was promoted to brigadier general. He was a key staff member at conferences in Quebec, Malta, Cairo and Yalta where he helped monitor and plan the war and postwar decisions were made. After the war was over he returned to his place of birth, Puerto Rico. In 1947, he returned to the rank of colonel and became Professor of Mathematics and Academic Board member at West Point. He introduced technology to the classroom and pioneered the use of computers in the study of mathematics. For many years he was the chair of the Academic Board's Admissions Committee. In 1956, his wife, Katherine became ill and passed away. In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone. In 1959, he became Dean of the Academic Board and returned to his general officer rank. He served 45 years in the United States Army with 22 years at West Point.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
Brigadier General.
He was the son of William Weston Bessell Sr. and May Hall Bessell.
On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York.
They were the parents of one child.
In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone.
They had no children.
Born into a military family he lived with his maternal grandmother and aunt in Mesa, Arizona after the death of his mother. He graduated sixth of 270 from the United States Military Academy in 1920. In 1922, he earned a degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Many years later, he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rensselaer. On August 29, 1922, he married Katherine Mary Hanratta, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Hanratta of Watervliet, New York. He was assigned to San Antonio, Texas with the 2nd Engineers. From 1924 to 1928, he was Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Rose Polytechnic in Terre Haute, Indiana. He created the first physical education program at Rose. Years later he received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rose. From 1928 to 1932 he taught math at West Point. Next, he was in Hawaii for a short time and then became the resident engineer in Zanesville, Ohio where he selected the site for the Bolivar Dam and supervised its construction. From 1936 until World War II he was with the American Battle Monuments Commission in France where he received the Legion d'Honneur. In 1939, he was in the District of Columbia as chief engineer of personnel and oversaw the mobilization and training of the Corps which grew from 800 to 22,000 officers. In 1942, he was assigned to the War Department General Staff and helped organize the Joint War Plans Committee and was promoted to brigadier general. He was a key staff member at conferences in Quebec, Malta, Cairo and Yalta where he helped monitor and plan the war and postwar decisions were made. After the war was over he returned to his place of birth, Puerto Rico. In 1947, he returned to the rank of colonel and became Professor of Mathematics and Academic Board member at West Point. He introduced technology to the classroom and pioneered the use of computers in the study of mathematics. For many years he was the chair of the Academic Board's Admissions Committee. In 1956, his wife, Katherine became ill and passed away. In November 1958, he married Lillian Stanford Touchstone, the widow of West Point lacrosse coach, Morris Touchstone. In 1959, he became Dean of the Academic Board and returned to his general officer rank. He served 45 years in the United States Army with 22 years at West Point.
Source: United States Military Academy Association of Graduates memorial.
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