Henry O. Flipper

Henry O. Flipper Henry Ossian Flipper (1856-1940) was the first African-American graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1877. Born into slavery in Thomasville, Georgia, he came from a family of achievers; his brothers were an African Methodist Episcopal Bishop, a college professor and a farmer. Commissioned as Lieutenant in the 10th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, also known as the Buffalo Soldiers, Flipper was stationed at bases in western states and territories. At Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he designed a drainage system, now a National Historic Landmark known as "Flipper's Ditch," that removed standing water, thus minimizing malaria outbreaks. Despite his many accomplishments, Flipper is most remembered as a victim of racism. In 1882, at Fort Davis, Texas, he was court-martialled on questionable charges. He was eventually acquitted of all charges save one: conduct unbecoming an officer. Dismissed from the army, Flipper went on to become a civil mining engineer, surveyor, translator, newspaper editor, historian and folklorist in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. For 10 years, he lived in El Paso, working for prominent mining companies. He was appointed Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior during the Harding administration. Flipper tried, but was unable, to clear his name before his death in 1940. In 1976, the U.S. Army granted Lt. Flipper an honorable discharge, and he received a full presidential pardon of all charges in 1999. (2002)

Henry O. Flipper is a historical marker in El Paso, El Paso County, dedicated in 2002. It is one of 94 historical markers documented in El Paso County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 140 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.7808, -106.4557 near El Paso. The nearest cataloged historic site is Dr. Lawrence A. Nixon (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include White, James H., Captain, Guardian Angel Church, and Concordia Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5141012796. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.