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HISTORY OF MINNESOTA
ARMY ROTC 
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| The University of Minnesota permanently opened as a public institution in 1869. As one of the original departments, the Department of Military Science has always been here. It always will be here, thanks to the Land Grant Act, which the U of M was founded under. Military drill was conducted with an emphasis on Infantry and Artillery Tactics, and with an emphasis on Drill and Ceremony. Life as a cadet continued in that fashion until 1888, when the women on campus organized Company Q, in an effort to prove themselves to their male counterparts. After a fire in 1894 that destroyed the Coliseum used for drill, construction began on a new building that would serve as a new drill hall. The Armory opened its doors in 1896, and it is still in use today. |
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The Armory housed not only Military Science, but also the Physical Education Department, until new gyms and Cook Hall were built. The Armory held the first swimming pool on campus, which can still be seen today, though it holds supplies rather than water now. The Armory gym housed Gopher basketball games, and the Gopher football team had it's locker rooms here, because they played on a field just south of the Armory. Our tradition with the Little Brown Jug began here in 1903, when the Michigan team accidently left it in the Armory locker room after a game. When the Michigan coach asked for it to be returned, the Gophers replied that he'd have to win it back. Now we play Michigan for that jug every year.
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| In May of 1906, the Student Soldier Memorial Monument was unveiled. It was dedicated to the men of the 13th Minnesota National Guard unit, who fought in the Spanish-American War. Even today, passersby are impressed by the nine foot bronze statue that portrays the soldier of 1898. |
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In the spring of 1917, the University of Minnesota offered a semesters credit to any who enlisted, and seniors who enlisted would be awarded diplomas. With the outbreak of World War I, one of the Army’s greatest needs was for officers. The University of Minnesota ROTC program helped produce many fine reserve officers. In 1939, when another World War loomed on the horizon, students began to turn to the Military Science department and ROTC for training. In 1942, the Army Specialized Training Program began, which trained cadets in the areas of medicine, psychology, as well as language studies in Japanese and German.
Navy ROTC was added to our campus in 1939. After WWII, when the Army Air Corps seperated from the Army, Air Force ROTC was added to our campus in 1949.
Over the decades, the Armory was home to many University functions, such as dances, University Presidential inaugurations, and during the Vietnam era, many anti-war protests. Today, our cadets enjoy a tradition of being part of the University community. We participate in campus celebrations and assist with events by providing a Color-Guard to honor our American and state flags. We bring college students together from various campuses, by hosting cadets from many Twin Cities private colleges. We have started our own traditions such as an annual sports competition between the Army, Air Force, Marine and Navy ROTC programs. And we look forward to continuing our campus involvement, as the program has grown stronger in recent years. |
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