Robert Thomas Drummond
27 November 1935 – 2 September, 2000
Place of Death: Villanova, PA
Interment: Bourne National Cemetery, Cape Cod, MA |  |
Class Memorial Pages\O-2 Father Drummond.pdf Father Robert Thomas Drummond was born on 27 November 1935 in Fitchburg, MA. He never wore cadet gray, but there are few who had more love for the Army and for West Point. His positive influence was felt by scores of cadets, former cadets, classmates and other graduates, and friends of USMA, many of whom referred to him as “Father Bob.” |
After high school, Father Drummond entered Merrimack College, MA. He had sought to fulfill a childhood dream of entering West Point; however, a decision of the Medical Corps denied him that dream, so he went on to graduate from the Massachusetts Military Academy in 1961. Along the way, Father Drummond was awarded a commission as second lieutenant. Had he been accepted to West Point, he would have taken the oath with the Class of 1961 on the Plain on 2 July, 1957, one of many circumstances that endeared “Father Bob” to our class as an Associate Classmate. |
After graduation from Massachusetts Military Academy, he entered the Augustinian Order and earned a B.A. in philosophy from Villanova University, PA, in 1964. In 1967, Father Drummond was ordained to the priesthood. His first priestly assignment was to a parish in the Bronx, NY, where he worked at the parish high school. Concurrently, he continued his career as an Army chaplain in the New York area. In 1982, the Archdiocese of New York recognized Father Drummond’s long love for the Army and the Corps of Cadets and assigned him as assistant to the Catholic chaplain at West Point. Several of his friends have quipped that his desire to enter West Point was so strong that he had to join the priesthood to do so. |
In 1995, Father Drummond retired with the rank of Brigadier General and was assigned to Our Lady of Good Counsel parish, Staten Island, NY. Eventually, ill health necessitated his transfer to St. Thomas Monastery at Villanova University, PA, where he died peacefully on 2 September 2000. |
During his tenure at West Point, “Father Bob” touched the lives of those who fondly remember the fragrance of his pipe tobacco as he visited the barracks to counsel a troubled or failing cadet, to set things right with a roommate dispute, or to get involved with a family situation distracting a cadet from his studies. Long after his retirement, graduates and friends solicited his wisdom. He was a source of comfort as he officiated at gravesides in the West Point cemetery when old grads laid their classmates to rest. Although slight of stature, Father Drummond stood tall in his general’s uniform, and we took pride knowing that “Father Bob” was one of us. |
During his final days, “Father Bob” continued to serve at local military communities and attended gatherings of graduates and friends of West Point. He will be missed at the Class of ’61 reunions where he would join our activities and celebrate Mass with his associate classmates. |
At his request, Father Drummond was laid to rest in his uniform beside his fellow soldiers in Bourne National Cemetery, Cape Cod, MA. He is survived by a sister, Rosemary Drummond Du Beau, and a brother, Hugh Drummond, both of Massachusetts. |
The Army and the Corps of Cadets was blessed by Father Drummond’s presence, and the Class of ’61 was honored by “Father Bob’s” Associate status. |
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