To recognize and pay tribute to his father’s lifetime of service and achievement, COL (R) John H. Stokes III ’57 and his wife, Mary Beth Ziegler-Stokes, have endowed the Writing Fellows Program, a component of the West Point Writing Program, which will now be named the MG John H. Stokes, Jr. (1918) Fellows Program in honor of his father.
As a high school student, West Point cadet, and throughout his distinguished military career, MG (R) Stokes demonstrated excellence across domains. Earlier on March 6, 2024, MG (R) Stokes was also recognized by the naming of the Stokes Fellows Parlor in Jefferson Hall. The Stokes Fellows Parlor is a grand, uniquely cadet-centered space that provides a dedicated place for cadets to gather for conversation and community with each other and distinguished guests as well as quiet study on their own.
President and CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, COL (R) Mark Bieger ’91, welcomed guests and introduced Dr. Jason O. Hoppe, founding director of the Writing Fellows Program.
The multidisciplinary West Point Writing Program is a rigorous, nationally-recognized effort to develop thoughtful and effective communicators across every domain at West Point—academic, technical, and military—through cutting-edge writing and communications curriculum, scholarship, and enrichment programs. The program supports cadets and faculty as they research, experiment with, and ultimately contribute to high-level conversations about writing, communication, and critical inquiry.
The cadets selected as Stokes Fellows represent nearly every department at West Point—with majors across the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields—and demonstrate superior promise as writers and communicators. Through the Margin of Excellence MG John H. Stokes, Jr. ’18 Fellows Program, the Stokes legacy of service and professional excellence will be carried forward and have a lasting impact, developing future-oriented leaders equipped to meet the full spectrum communications challenges both today and in the future.
