History of the Department of Military History at UTA

A HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY SCIENCE ATTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON Forward Since the inception of military training at this institution in 1902, when it was theCarlis

A HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY SCIENCE AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON

Forward

Since the inception of military training at this institution in 1902, when it was theCarlisle Military Academy, hundreds of outstanding young men and women have beenprepared for service as officers in the Armed Forces The ROTC program, as we know ittoday, began when this institution became part of the Texas A&M System in 1917 Theinstitution offered two years of military training and was known as Grubbs VocationalCollege Grubbs became North Texas Agricultural College from 1923 until 1949 when,again, the name changed to Arlington State College ROTC was mandatory for all malestudents of the college until the Spring of 1954 when ROTC was deleted from theCollege’s core curriculum However, cadets remained an integral part of college lifebecause the Corps was intertwined with most campus activities This close feeling hascontinued even until today

In the Fall of 1959, the curriculum was expanded to four years, and by the Spring

of 1961, the first class graduated with eight officers receiving commissions Since thatdate up through December 1992, 851 officers had been commissioned through theArlington ROTC program In October of 1965, the institution was transferred to theUniversity of Texas System On May 17, 1968, Department of the Army General OrderNumber 20 was published and formally established The University of Texas at ArlingtonROTC unit as a separate Army ROTC organization Another major milestone in thehistory of Army ROTC was reached on April 15, 1986 On that date, the United StatesArmy ROTC Cadet Command was organized with headquarters at Ft Monroe, Virginia,blending the vibrance of a new command with traditions of the Army’s oldestcontinuously active installation

Today the Corps of Cadets of The University of Texas at Arlington is a vital link

in the preservation of the freedoms this country enjoys The proud legacy of theMaverick Battalion has been enriched by each generation that has served in time of peace

to safeguard our security and in time of war to secure victory through supreme sacrifice.The tradition of the UTA Army ROTC Cadets is to live up to the magnificent example set

by their former comrades-in-arms, in our land and overseas, as guardians of liberty

Jimmie J HatawayLieutenant Colonel, InfantryProfessor of Military Science

THE EARLY YEARS(1895-1902)

What was to become The University of Texas at Arlington began as ArlingtonCollege in 1894 This establishment grew out of a desire of some of the leading citizens

of Arlington to have a private school which could provide a better education for theirchildren than could be received at that time in the public schools

The man who first suggested such a private school was Edward Emmit Rankin,owner of a hardware store and prominent merchant in Arlington His personal drive andinfluence earned him the label “Father” of Arlington College It is fitting that the

“Father” of Arlington College and the institution that would produce over 851 ArmyOfficers, was himself quite a colorful military character In the Spring of 1861, EdwardRankin, along with his fellow Tennesseans, answered Nathan B Forrest’s colorful call toarms:

I require able body men with good horse and gun I wish none but those who desire to be actively engaged Come

on boys, if you want a heap of fun and kill some Yankees,

1 The Civil War, PSB series by Ken Burns 1991.

Rankin served with the 4th Tennessee Cavalry under the Command of NathanialBedford Forrest, until his capture on July 18, 1864, outside of Atlanta Private Rankinhad seen action with N.B Forrest, including the bloody engagement with Union forcesunder General U.S Grant at Shiloh Church

After his release from Union Custody, Rankin made his way to Texas, where hebecame a respected and successful merchant in Arlington In the Spring of 1895, hesuggested to the two co-principals of the Arlington public school, Mr Lee M Hammondand Mr William M Trimble, the need for a private school in Arlington patterned after theWebb School in Bellbuckle, Tennessee He helped back the venture by securingdonations for the new college A block of land was donated by The Ditto and CollinsLand Company (presently where Hereford University Center is located) Buildingmaterials were donated and funds were raised by the three men and local citizens A two-story frame structure was constructed, with four classrooms on the ground floor and two

Arlington College opened in the Fall of 1895 with six faculty and 100 students.Since the college was private, it depended on tuition for its income Rates of tuitionranged from $1.50 to $3.00 per month according to the grade However, after the firstyear, the tuition had provided slender pay for teachers The “College” agreed to teachpublic school (elementary to high school level) to offset costs Arlington now had twopublic schools

The curriculum included algebra, geometry, and trigonometry Courses wereoffered in English Grammar, Composition, and Rhetoric Sciences included Physics,Physiology, Chemistry, and Astronomy Latin and the Classics finished out the two-yearcourse.3

Due to the lack of enrollment in the last year (1901) and the declining publicinterest to continue the public school, the Trustees of the Arlington College agreed to

2 Junia E Hudspeth, History of the North Texas Agriculture College August 1935

3 Junia E Hudspeth, History of the North Texas Agriculture College August 1935

allow Prof J M Carlisle the use of the grounds of Arlington College for his CarlisleSchool for Boys.

CARLISLE MILITARY ACADEMY

(1902-1913)

In June 1902, Mr James M (“Colonel“) Carlisle came to Arlington to site thenew location of his Carlisle School for Boys At a meeting with local civic leaders, hesubmitted a proposal to move his school from Hillsboro to Arlington if the citizens woulddonate to him the Arlington College property and build a dormitory on the grounds Anagreement was made, and funds were raised to purchase an additional block of land and

stands It provided space for the residence of the Superintendent, a dining facility, and adormitory for 30 cadets Initially, it was referred as “Arlington Hall”; however, the name

The “Carlisle School for Boys” opened in Arlington on September 16,1902, with

an enrollment of 48 cadets for the Fall semester In November, new uniforms and 80

The school staff for the first year of instruction was James M Carlisle,Superintendent; Sydney Roland, Assistant to the Superintendent; and Preston A

The Arlington Journal in January 1903 announced that Professor Carlisle was

“going to try to have the Texas Legislature pass a Bill this Session whereby the cadets ofhis school may become a part of the regular state militia, subject to instruction andinspection, but not subject to call.”

Cadets were under strict discipline in the dormitory and in classes In addition toacademic subjects, cadets were well drilled in the manual of arms and physicalconditioning At the end of the first school year, a competitive military drill contest wasconducted with Dr Frank D Boyd of Ft Worth presenting a gold medal to the best

4 Arlington Journal, June 12, October 3, 1902

5 The Seventh Annual Announcement of Carlisle Military Academy, 1907-1908

6 Arlington Journal, September 6, 1902

7 Arlington Journal, June 11, 1903

drilled cadet The first annual Frank D Boyd Award was won by Cadet Corporal Fred

School reopened in September 1903 with an increase in enrollment and additions

to the faculty In October, the school secured a Charter from the State of Texasincorporating it under the name of Carlisle Military Academy, with the purpose ofconducting an educational institution for the literary, military, and manual training ofboys.9

Cadet Captain Weatherred had the cadets well drilled There was a dress parade

of the cadets at the Academy on December 18, and the cadets were occasionally marchedthrough the principle street of Arlington.10

In the Spring of 1904, Carlisle Military Academy had its first interscholasticathletics with the formation of a baseball team Games were played with GrandviewIntercollegiate Institute in April and May.11

Final examinations were held in the school auditorium and were open to thepublic The editor of the Arlington Journal remarked that “ to listen to the examination ofclasses and watch the faces of the cadets, one was inevitably driven to the conclusion thatthe brain exercise had been intense One could hardly help feeling that the strain hadbeen even too great Some faces showed such traces of mental strain as to be almostpathetic.”

In the competitive military drill contest for the Frank D Boyd Award, theArlington Journal commented that

‘the struggle was fierce, but slowly and surely the cadetsone by one, were counted out, until only two, Harry Weeksand Morris Champ were left These were the two of thesmallest cadets in school, and amid loud cheering, CadetCaptain Weatherred led them forth for the final contest

Again and again he carried them through every movementbut with the eyes and ears ever alert they responded to theCaptains quick orders, until the audience for very pity,

8 Arlington Journal, June 11, 1903

9 Arlington Journal, October 8, 1903

10 Arlington Journal, December 17, 1903, January 21, 1904

11 Arlington Journal, April 14 and 28, 1904, May 12, 1904

cried out “Give them both a medal!” The suggestion wasadopted and the youthful soldiers almost exhausted wereborn from the field on the shoulders of admiring friends.

Dr Boyd in a short address presented the medals, and afterthree cheers for Colonel G.T West the inspecting officer,

Dr Boyd, and Cadet Captain Weatherred, the exercisesclosed.’12

The closing exercises for the second year at the Academy were well attended, andPreston A Weatherred became the first cadet to graduate from Carlisle Military

For the school year beginning in September 1904, the Academy made expansions

in its faculty, facilities, curriculum, and athletics Five instructors were added to thefaculty staff Laboratory equipment was added to enhance the teaching of Physics andChemistry Football was added to the athletic program, and games were played with Ft

where the present day University Center is located This building, known as EastBarracks, was a single-story structure with 29 rooms Each room accommodated twocadets The rooms were furnished with two folding iron beds, small study tables, chairs,and closets Each room was lighted with electrical light and had hot and cold runningwater.15

The life of a Carlisle cadet was not easy Superintendent Carlisle’s philosophy ofeducation, rules and regulations for the Academy were not relaxed He expected hiscadets to acquire a good mastery of the traditional subjects Cadets were allowed verylittle free time He strongly opposed the use of tobacco, especially cigarette smoking.Carlisle did not hesitate to dismiss cadets who could not or would not live up to hisstandards Cadets were under military discipline to become well developed citizens, not

to be made into soldiers Carlisle believed that

12 Arlington Journal, May 26, 1904

13 The Seventh Annual Announcement, 1907-1908

14 Arlington Journal, November 3, 1904

15 Arlington Journal, November 3, 1904

“a military school creates habits of order, cleanliness, patience,

promptness, punctuality, obedience, respect for authority, and a sense of

duty, honor and manliness The power of prolonged and quickened

attention, accurate perception, and prompt decision and action gained in

military exercises make a boy previously listless, slow, and dull, one that

is alert, active, and bright To accomplish the best results, the young

student should be placed in surroundings favorable to industry; he should

breathe a busy atmosphere In the public school, left to himself to regulate

his course of study, and exposed to the innumerable temptations of society

and good fellowship, the pupil unconsciously or heedlessly loses valuable

time In a military school life, is as regular as clockwork Not only

recitation and drill, but also recreation, study, and even sleep have their

allotted hours In this way, the pupil learns method and acquires good

mental habits.”16

Cadets were required to be in uniform at all times The uniform most often wornwas an Army regulation khaki for field drill For academic classes and parades, “Bluesand Greys” were worn These included a blue blouse and cap, grey trousers, and blackdress shoes On formal occasions an all white uniform referred to as “White Ducks”were worn

Cadets were in a constant state of inspection Rooms were inspected daily andwere subject to special inspections at all times Before mess, cadets were in formationand inspections were held Uniforms had to be brushed and buttoned and shoes highlypolished.17

The curriculum consisted of two years of study below high school and four years

at the high school level English, Mathematics, History, and Latin were required eachyear during high school English consisted of Composition as well as British andAmerican Literature Classic works from Shakespeare and Hawthorne were popular.Math courses ranged from Arithmetic to Advanced Algebra and Geometry American,Ancient, and Modern History also completed the list of required courses Four years of

16 The Seventh Annual Announcement, 1907-1908

17 The Seventh Annual Announcement, 1907-1908

Latin were also required Electives consisted of two years of a Special Business Course,made up of Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typing, or Commercial Law, and two years offoreign language in French, Spanish, Greek, or German Classes in Military Science andTactics, although not extensive, consisted of military history and the solution of tacticalproblems in the class and in the field Military drill was a daily affair which included themanual of arms, inspections, close order drill, and parade reviews Preston A.Weatherred, who had been attending Law School at the University of Texas, returned inthe Fall of 1906 to become the first Commandant, an English Instructor, and the Director

of Athletics.18

The academy added track to its athletic department in the Spring of 1907 At theState Interscholastic Meet held at the Academy on May 15,1907, Carlisle MilitaryAcademy took first place with 11 medals and broke the state high school records for thepole vault and shot put Cadet Lieutenant John Neece of Dallas was awarded the

The school year 1907-1908 was the zenith year for the Carlisle Military Academy.The highlight of the year was the inspection of the School by the U.S Army in theSpring The inspecting officers gave high commendation to the academy They weremost impressed by the discipline of the cadets on the field and in the class As a result ofthis inspection, the school was furnished with up-to-date training equipment from theU.S Army An active duty officer, Lt Kelton L Pepper, was assigned to the academy forthe year 1907-1908 and given the title of Professor of Military Science and Tactics.Enrollment in the Fall increased to 129, the largest enrollment in the history of theacademy Work was also completed on the west barracks, which along with the East and

This was also a golden year for Carlisle Military Academy Athletics The footballteam was undefeated in the season In the game against Ft Worth University, theopposing team was unable to make a single first down The track team won the StateTrack Meet at the University of Texas, earning scores far ahead of other competing

18 Arlington Journal, January 24, 1907

19 Arlington Journal, March 9, 16, 23, 1907

20 Arlington Journal, May 9, 16, 30, 1907.

21 The Seventh Annual Announcement, 1907-1908

In March 1908 two battalions of cadets attended the Ft Worth Stock Show andparticipated in the Military Tournament and Sham Battle Company A won the

The Academy’s Annual “End of the Year Picnic” was held at Lake Handley Thecadets engaged in competitive drills with an officer from the National Guard as aninspector, and the annual awards were made The Officers’ Medal for best academicrecord was won by Cadet Captain Tom Lamonica, and the Frank D Boyd medal was won

With the opening of the Academy in the Fall of 1908, the twilight began to set forthe future of Carlisle Military Academy Enrollment dropped to 88 cadets A loss of 41cadets from the previous year may have been due to the economic panic and agriculturedrought of 1907 Yet, in spite of the lower enrollment, the Academy upheld its standardsand several cadets were dismissed for infractions of the rules

During mid-season, the Academy was forced to disband the football team due toathletic injuries and remaining games were canceled

Because the enrolled fell below 100 cadets, the U.S Army recalled Lt Pepper as

In the Fall of 1909, the Academy purchased $1500 in band instruments and theCarlisle Military Academy Band was formed The cadet band gave several recitals

Preston A Weatherred returned to the staff as Commandant and instructor inEnglish during the Fall and would stay with the staff for three years

At the track meet at the Texas A&M College in April 1910, the Carlisle boysplaced second, behind Allen Academy, and G Eagleton of Arlington was the star

team won by such a high margin that they were honored on their return to Arlington by aparade through town and a special luncheon at the academy At the second annual

22 Arlington Journal, March 20, 1908

23 Arlington Journal, May 22, 1908

24 Arlington Journal, October 15, 1909

25 Arlington Journal, May 20, 1910

26 Arlington Journal, April 29, 1910

County Track Meet, the Carlisle Team won first place The coach for the Carlisle Team

At the end of the 1910 School Year, the George T West Medal for the best cadetofficer was awarded to Lt Paul R Davidson The Frank D Boyd Medal for the bestdrilled cadet went to Charles Eagleton, and the Academy Medal for the champion athletefor the last two years was awarded to William H Slider Four cadets were also presentedcertificates of graduation from the Academy In the Fall of 1910, a new gymnasium and

In the Spring of 1911, “Colonel” Carlisle proposed to open a second militaryacademy on Galveston Bay, and that the Carlisle Military academy in Arlington wouldclose after the current year However the new school was not opened because theArlington school was in financial difficulty

In April 1911, Company A 4th Regiment of the Old Texas National Guard, whichwas made up of the Carlisle cadets, took first place in the State Tournament at Ft Worthand was judged the best Company in the Texas National Guard A large number of thesescadets would become commissioned officers during America’s entry in the First WorldWar.29

In spite of its financial struggle, the Academy did not hesitate to expel half of thestudent body for breaches of discipline during the 1911-1912 school year

Prior to the close of the 1912-1913 school year, the announcement was made atthe close of the term that “Colonel” Carlisle would cease to operate his school inArlington and that a new school would be established on the campus to be known as the

THE TRANSITION TO A STATE COLLEGE

(1913-1917)After the financial failure of the Carlisle Military Academy, it seemed veryunlikely that an academic institution would continue However, the board of directors

27 Arlington Journal, May 13, 1910

28 Arlington Journal, December 9, 1910

29 Arlington Journal, May 19, 1911

30 Arlington Journal, May 16, 1913

and the citizens of Arlington were determined to continue the support of a college inArlington.

In the summer of 1913, the board of directors appointed Professor H.K Taylor asPresident of the school, now renamed “The Arlington Training School” The school was

in a poor state of condition, and repairs to many of the buildings and facilities wereneeded Professor Taylor solicited support from several leading citizens and teachers toraise the necessary funds for repairs and administration By the Fall of 1913, theArlington Training School opened its doors to 66 pupils for the first school year Thepurpose of the Arlington Training School very closely paralleled the doctrine of theCarlisle Military Academy set by Colonel James Carlisle which was

“to educate and to build men and women who could dothings and fill responsible places in society.”31

The military standards established by “Colonel” Carlisle were retained in theschool curriculum Male students wore a mandatory uniform almost identical to theCarlisle cadet uniform Besides the field service khaki uniform, cadets still wore thetraditional “Blues and Greys” and “White Ducks” There were regular hours for meals,recreation, study, exercise, and sleep Athletics and physical training were stressed Thecadets made up the teams in football, basketball, and baseball and had very successful

However, as early as 1916, the school had already begun to show the strain offinancial difficulty In April of 1916, Judge V.W Grubbs of Greenville proceeded withthe prospect of adding industrial subjects at the school In January of 1917, as the newState Legislature convened in Austin, conditions were favorable for creating branches ofthe existing Texas A&M College Judge Grubbs represented the City of Arlington andfought during the legislation to help search the institution On March 10, 1917, theprivate institution in Arlington became the Texas A&M branch school known as GrubbsVocational College

Grubbs Vocational College

(1917-1923)

31 The Arlington Training School Catalog, 1913-1914

32 Junia Hudspeth, History of North Texas Agriculture College

After John Tarleton University in Stephenville became a state institution inFebruary of 1917, the motivation of local citizens in Arlington became enough to helppass the state legislation to make the college in Arlington a state institution to be nameGrubbs Vocational College During these early years, the College President, W.B.Bizzell, was its constant defender and promoter He was responsible for its policies andfor making it an integral part of the Texas A&M system.33

In the Fall of 1918, America was involved in the “War to End All Wars.” TheCorps of Cadets at Grubbs began their first important transition to produce militaryofficers for World War I

In October of 1918, the Student Army Training Corps (SATC) was inauguratedand Grubbs Vocational College became a war training school The purpose of SATC was

to provide scholastic and military training before being sent to Officer Training Campsand then to active duty The War Department assigned 1st Lieutenant L.W Caine to takecharge, and the Corps soon turned civilians into well-drilled soldiers under his guidance.SATC students were paid $30 per month and were billeted in West Barracks The Corpswas put through two hours of drill and 30 minutes of exercise each day Classes inmilitary tactics and camouflage were conducted and often a few sham battles wereconducted.34

Following the Armistice in November 1918, the SATC members received theirdischarge papers at the last assembly before Christmas Lt Caine presented thedischarges, and his last speech to the SATC members would forever remain in their minds

Besides drill, the SATC members were involved in many incidents both on andoff campus There were “scraps” in the Barracks, and on Halloween SATC memberswere involved in incidents with the town boys of Arlington The Grubbs College men

33 Junia E Hudspeth, History of North Texas Agriculture College

34 The Shorthorn Vol 1 No 1 April 1919

35 The Shorthorn Vol 1 No 1 April 1919

36 The Shorthorn Vol 1 No 1 April 1919

On October 2,1919, the Grubbs Vocational College Band was formed Thirty-six

as manager

The Reserve Officers Training Corps was established by the National Defense Act

of 1916 and begun at Grubbs Vocational College in the Fall of 1921 The WarDepartment assigned Capt Carl A Bishop as Professor of Military Science and Tactics(PMS&T) and Lt L.W Caine became Assistant PMS&T After graduation from Grubbs,cadets could now seek commissions from the military by finishing their last two years ofcollege and ROTC at a neighboring four-year institution

The course in Military Science and Tactics covered subjects that were beneficial

to the cadet either in peace or war In military courtesy and discipline he was taughtrespect for and loyalty to authority In military hygiene and first aid he was taughtpersonal hygiene, first aid and prevention of diseases A great part of the course wasgiven to Drill and Command, which instills precision, soldierly appearance, bearing, anddiscipline In addition, the cadet was taught rifle marksmanship, combat principles,scouting, patrolling, and the proper use of the automatic rifle

The daily routine of a Grubbs cadet began at 6:00 A.M with reveille He had 15minutes to shave and dress before formation at 6:15 A.M If the cadet was late, weeklypasses to town were usually taken away Cadets participated in physical trainingconducted by the cadet chain of command until formation at 7:00 A.M for breakfast.The Mess Hall was located at the east entrance of the Administration Building (currentlyRansom Hall) In the Mess Hall, strict military discipline was maintained Each cadetmoved to his assigned seat and remained at the position of attention At the command

“Take Seats” by the senior student officer, cadets were seated and the meal was served.Students rotated to work in the Mess Hall during meal hours

Room inspections were conducted at 6:45 A.M each weekday, with wall lockerinspections on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Classes were conducted from 8:00 A.M until 12:30 P.M Mess call wasconducted at 12:45 P.M After lunch, classes continued until 4:30 P.M On Tuesdaysand Thursdays from 4:30 to 5:50 P.M., drill was conducted At 6:00 P.M., formation for

37 The Shorthorn Vol 2 No 1 October 1919

dinner; and at 7:15 P.M., each cadet was required to be in his room studying unless hehad a pass Cadet Guards walked posts to ensure this was being done All cadets wererequired to be in at 9:45 P.M., and at 10:00 P.M taps was played and all cadets were to be

in bed 38

As in the military academies, cadets were subject to discipline and demerits.Depending on the severity of the violation, demerits were classed from 2 to 10.Freshman and Sophomores were limited to 125, and Juniors and Seniors were limited to

75, each term

Cadet officers and non-commissioned officers were selected by the Commandant

of cadets from the Senior, Junior, and Sophomore classes according to academic andmilitary merits

As in the active military, cadets also performed guard duty around the campus.The guard consisted of an Officer of the Day, Officer of the Guard, Sergeant of theGuard, and duty personnel (cadet privates) as needed While on guard duty, cadets were

CPT Bishop’s greatest desire was to make the cadet corps one of the best juniorcollege organizations in the state With his strong personality, his ability to organize, andhis determination to accomplish something worthwhile, it was felt for sure that his effortswould not be at a loss.40

“As a leader and a man, we admire him (Capt Bishop); as a

The Rifle Team was organized by Capt Bishop and, with careful coaching, took

Inter-collegiate match for military training in the 1921-22 school year In the following schoolyear, the team again took first in the ROTC Corps match and fifth in the Inter-collegiatematch.42

38 The Shorthorn Vol 1 No 1 April 1919

39 The Blue Book, Grubbs Vocational College 1 st Edition, September, 1918

40 The Junior Aggie 1923

41 The Junior Aggie 1924

42 The Junior Aggie 1924

Since the name Grubbs Vocational College carried the idea of a school underprivate ownership and the word “vocational” seemed to limit the function of the school, achange in the name was desired by the citizens of Arlington On July 24, 1923, Grubbs

Administration, Accounting, Pre-engineering and Carpentry were added to thecurriculum

THE NORTH TEXAS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

(1923-1949)

In the Fall of 1923, the Corps was organized as a battalion with twocompanies The Chain of Command consisted of Colonel Charles C Todd, commandingROTC at Texas A&M, CPT Bishop (PMS&T) at NTAC, and 1LT Caine, Commandant ofCadets at NTAC The Cadet Commander was given the rank of Cadet Major (C/MAJ).Companies were commanded by Cadet Captains (C/CPT), each with two platoons lead

by Cadet Lieutenants (C/LT) Interestingly, rank insignia for cadets has not changed at allsince the inception of ROTC training at this institution.44

NTAC’s first Corps Commander (1923-1924) was C/MAJ Eugene Marshall

A Company was commanded by C/CPT Russell Canfield who also commanded the Rifle

On Oct 11, 1923, Colonel Todd from Texas A&M conducted the first of hisannual inspections of the Corps at NTAC

In 1924, the Corps curriculum expanded to include mapping, the automaticrifle, bayonet drill, scouting and patrolling, hand and rifle grenades, and military hygiene.Due to the steady increase in enrollment, the Corps had 15 cadet officers who wereresponsible for the enforcement of the regulations of the institution under the supervision

In 1925, the War Department replaced Captain Bishop with 1LT Rutledge M.Lawson as PMS 1LT Caine continued as Commandant of Cadets The Corps continued

43 Junia E Hudspeth, History of North Texas Agriculture College

44 Junior Aggie 1923

45 Junior Aggie 1923

46 Junior Aggie 1924

to grow, and another company was added to the Battalion The Cadet Commander was

1925 marked the year of the formation of this institution’s oldest Corpsorganization, The Sam Houston Rifles First known as “The Crack Company”, the SamHouston Rifles was organized and commanded by C/CPT Jack Dinwiddie Cadets from

A and B Companies made up the members of The Crack Company

The NTAC band increased to 52 members, and during the summer itconducted a 13-week national tour billed as “The Lone Star Band.”

The Officer’s Club was first organized in 1925 Members included the PMSand Commandant, the cadet officers The Corps Commander was appointed as ClubPresident The purpose of the Officers Club was to promote espirit de corps in the cadetofficer corps and to organize the social functions during the year.48

The Bull Pen Society was organized in the Fall of 1927 The Bull Penconsisted of off-campus cadets whose purpose was to assist new students in adjusting totheir new surroundings at NTAC and to promote a better feeling of fellowship among thecommuters

In 1927, CPT Fred P Norris replaced 1LT Caine as Commandant of Cadets;however, 1LT Lawson still remained as NTAC PMS&T

Corps match

area, inspected the campus of NTAC At 10:00 A.M the Corps was formed and abattalion parade was held After passing in review, the battalion was formed in columns

of companies and the band and rifle companies were inspected The rifles and uniformsinspected were in excellent condition The appearance of the band and instruments wasalso excellent After the inspection was completed, C/MAJ Norman held company drillfor LTC Mayo Following this the Corps was dismissed and the officers attended a

47 Junior Aggie 1925

48 Junior Aggie 1925

49 Junior Aggie 1927

By the Fall of 1928, several changes on campus had occurred Cadets were nolonger housed in the East and West barracks These buildings were torn down to makeway for a larger parade field Cadets were now housed in buildings according toCompany designation A Company resided in the old 1895 administration building,called by the cadets “Fish Hall” B Company resided in a building next to the exchangestore on campus known as “Lindbergh Hall” Cadets would jokingly refer to the dorm as

The new library building was open for the cadets and was located to the eastend of the Administration building This building currently stands on campus and isknown as “College Hall”

In the Fall of 1928, 1LT Lawson was replaced by CPT Edgar H Keltner asPMS LT Norris remained as Commandant of Cadets but in the following school year(1929-1930), CPT Keltner combined the positions of PMS and Commandant of Cadets.The battalion increased to four companies with the addition of D Company D Companyconsisted of off-campus cadets from the Dallas area (C Company consisted of those

Along with the Officers Club and the Bull Pen Society, another club wasorganized in the Corps The Sergeants Club, later known as the NCO Club, wasorganized under the guidance of CPT Keltner All cadet NCOs were members, and itspurpose was for the promotion of the NCO Corps and to sponsor several social eventsduring the year

In the fall of 1929, the NTAC band under the direction of “COL” Earl D Ironsplaced first of 75 contesting units at the state band competition at the State Fair ofTexas.52

In the 1929-1930 school year, the corps increased to a total enrollment of 202cadets The Battalion staff increased to include, along with a Cadet Adjutant, a CadetQuartermaster to coordinate the armory and supplies, and the Cadet Sergeant-Major to bethe liaison between the NCO and officer corps and to assign the various guard duties oncampus

50 Junior Aggie 1928

51 Junior Aggie 1930

52 Junior Aggie 1930