Historical Overview of ROTC

Dawn of flight at Purdue ... beginning a tradition that endures today.

"Our old modified "Jennie" at Purdue, Lt. Wolf flight instructor" - H.O.D. Boone
Two years before this photo was taken a young officer in the U.S. Army Air-Service soloed in an aircraft of the very same type, at Newport News, Virginia. Major William "Billy" Mitchell must have been a proud flyer that day.

History of ROTC

The History of ROTC began in 1819 with the establishment of the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy in Vermont by Captain Alden Partidge. However, the purpose of the Academy, to produce career military officers, was not fully realized, since many of the graduates volunteered for regular Army service, and not the State Militia as was originally hoped.
At the beginning of the Civil War the United States was suffering from a lack of professional officers, further aggravated by the resignation of a significant number who chose to join the Confederacy. This apparent shortage of trained professional officers led to the passage of the Land Grant Act of 1862. This act provided each state with tracts of land to be sold for the establishment of at least one college where military tactics would be taught along with agricultural and mechanical arts as well as the traditional disciplines.
After the Spanish-American War in 1898, a national concern for emergency preparedness emerged. This called for the creation of a federally controlled reserve force, an integral part of which was the Reserve Officer Training Program. This concern cumulated in the establishment of the National Defense Act of 1916, which recognized colleges and universities as the best source of future professional officers.
At the conclusion of World War II, Air Service ROTC was initiated, bringing the total number of ROTC detachments to 191 nationwide. The significance of ROTC was demonstrated during World War II, as the majority of the company and battalion level officers were former ROTC trainees.
Today, technological and scientific advancements in warfare have created a need for well-trained, professional officers, and the ROTC is the most productive way to achieve that goal.

ROTC cadets training with artillery cannons on campus at Purdue, 1880

At Purdue, military training has primarily centered around one location on campus, the Armory. The building, which is still currently in use, was completed in 1918 at a price of $200,000.00. These photos depict the many uses of the Armory. Above, ROTC mass calisthenics. Below left, cadets get hands on instruction with the latest combat weaponry. Below right, the Armory served as living room, dressing room, parlor, and sleeping room of the 509 men in the Auto Mechanics School (1918). Comparatively little time was spent here outside of sleeping hours; school-work and drill occupied most of the men's time. Concerning these conditions, one of the men noted "Most everybody is happy, however." How did they manage to do all of this? Good question.

Class B "Liberty Trucks" used for instruction in Motors and Motor Driving. Circa 1918

Purdue's ROTC unit received "excellent" ratings 15 times in as many years during annual War Department inspections during this time period, the highest rating a unit could receive.

Excellence in all we do…A Purdue tradition even in the early days

The Armory around the time Air Force ROTC was established. Circa 1950

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