▁Class ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁was ▁no ▁exception . ▁Of ▁the ▁ 4 0 0 ▁cad ets ▁entering ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁as ▁the ▁Class ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁only ▁ 1 5 2 ▁graduated . ▁Both ▁Ste vers on ▁and ▁Bo yd , ▁the ▁two ▁black ▁cad ets ▁in ▁this ▁class , ▁completed ▁the ▁four - year ▁course ▁of ▁academic ▁and ▁military ▁education ▁and ▁were ▁graduated . ▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁orders ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁cad ets ▁came ▁down ▁the ▁chain - of - command ▁from ▁President ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy , ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁cad ets ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁treated ▁differently ▁and ▁well . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁truth . ▁ ▁The ▁make ▁up ▁of ▁the ▁Corps ▁of ▁Cad ets ▁would ▁not ▁permit ▁it . ▁Nevertheless , ▁there ▁was ▁very ▁little ▁attr ition ▁of ▁black ▁cad ets ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁as ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁majority ▁group ▁of ▁cad ets . ▁Two ▁very ▁gift ed ▁and ▁tal ented ▁Class ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁Cad ets ▁Robert ▁T read way ▁Brown ▁( R iver head , ▁NY ) ▁and ▁Tim othy ▁Co on ▁( O range , ▁N J ) ▁left ▁the ▁a cademy ▁before ▁they ▁graduated . ▁Most ▁black ▁cad ets ▁who ▁entered ▁graduated ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁unique ▁b onds ▁f used ▁in ▁the ▁cru cible ▁of ▁Ch ase ▁Hall ▁with ▁all ▁of ▁those ▁they ▁called ▁brothers , ▁the