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CLASS OF 1880
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Sharpe moved to the Commissary Corps three years after graduation and for the next fifteen years handled food supply at a number of army posts. In the Spanish-American War,
his good work at Camp Thomas, Georgia, then in Puerto Rico, finally in the Philippines,
contrasted sharply with the army’s generally dismal logistical performance.
Named commissary general in 1905, Sharpe sought to improve army rations and food preparation.
In 1912 the new Quartermaster Corps absorbed his department, a reform he favored. Four years later
Sharpe became quartermaster general.
When the United States declared war, Sharpe faced the formidable challenge of housing,
feeding, clothing, and equipping a massively expanded army. He made great progress, but not fast enough
to meet political demands. In December 1917 he was replaced by George Goethals (Class of 1880).
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