Henry Flipper Rose From Slavery to Become West Point’s First Black Graduate—and a Staunch Anti-New Dealer

Despite experiencing the bitter fruits of racism, he never gave up on America—or its Constitution

Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, circa 1877. Kean Collection/Getty Images

When individuals soar above their circumstances, they catch our attention. When they hold firm to timeless principles despite challenges and temptations, they inspire. When they speak the truth, do their duty, and adhere to high standards of character, they are models we should seek to emulate.

One such man was Henry Ossian Flipper (1856–1940). In so many ways, his story defies today’s conventional wisdom, just as it did in the decades he lived it.