A Look At West Point's "Goats"

At West Point, 'Goats' Are An Exclusive Bunch -- Wall Street Journal

Military Academy Honors Lowest-Ranking Cadet; Custer's Last Place

When cadet Roberto Becerra Jr. walked onstage to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2007, the entire ceremony ground to a halt as he, before a crowd of thousands, transformed into a goat.

For this achievement, Mr. Becerra received a rousing ovation and was handed an envelope stuffed with cash.

In a 210-year-old military academy bristling with traditions, "the goat" is a curious custom that one might not expect to find at a school better known for its selectivity and high standards. Yet every year, the last-ranking cadet to make it through to graduation is anointed the goat, showered with praise, given a dollar from every other fellow graduate—amounting to roughly $1,000—and granted the biggest applause at the graduation ceremony.

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