Reserve Officer Training Corps

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. It is designed as a college elective, and studies focus on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.

U.S. Army ROTC History

The concept of Army ROTC began with the Morrill Act of 1862 which established the "land grant" colleges. Part of the federal government's requirement for these schools was that they include military tactics as part of their curriculum. However, Army ROTC as we know it today was created by the National Defense Act of 1916 and commissioned its first class of lieutenants in 1920.

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In 1960 General George H. Decker, ROTC commissionee at Lafayette College, became the first ROTC graduate named Chief of Staff of the Army. Other Army Chiefs of Staff to come out of ROTC include General Fred C. Weyand (University of California-Berkeley) and General Gordon Sullivan Norwich University. General Colin Powell, ROTC commissionee at the City University of New York, served as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Operation Desert Storm and later as Secretary of State from 2001 - 2005. General Hugh Shelton, commissioned out of North Carolina State University, was also a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The college ROTC program to produce the most 4-star Army generals is North Carolina State University, second only to the United States Military Academy in the number of 4-star generals produced. The University of Oregon has produced the highest number of general officers out of the nonmilitary ROTC schools, with a total of 44 flag officers.

Related Topics:
Lafayette College - University of California-Berkeley - Norwich University - Colin Powell - City University of New York - Operation Desert Storm - North Carolina State University - United States Military Academy

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Concerted efforts are being made at some Ivy League universities that have previously banned ROTC, including Harvard and Columbia, to return ROTC to campus. The program was expelled from many colleges and universities during the Vietnam War. In the 21st century, the debate often focuses around the law signed in 1993 by President Bill Clinton which requires the military to discriminate based on the declared sexual orientation of its members (see Don't ask, don't tell). Some schools believe this legal mandate would require them to waive or amend their non-discrimination policies.

Related Topics:
Ivy League - Harvard - Columbia - Vietnam War - Bill Clinton - Sexual orientation - Don't ask, don't tell

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