The Citadel (Military College)

The Citadel (full name: The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina) is a state-supported, coeducational, comprehensive military college founded in 1842. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the college offers a military education. While not academically demanding, The Citadel is considered by many to have the longest and hardest first-year military college experience. Men and women are admitted to the undergraduate, residential Corps of Cadets. In addition to the day program, undergraduate and graduate programs are offered through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies in the evening; its purpose to further stimulate the college's focus on academics as well as the Corps. Most Citadel graduates say that the disciplined lifestyle had a profound effect on them.

You are Citadel Men, you have no pension for failure, you wear the Ring, you never let a friend down, you will be good fathers, husbands, and leaders in the armed forces and industry, you are strong in heart, body, and mind. You protect such things as Honor and Fidelity. Your virtues will matter ... you are the last of the knights.

-Former President Ronald Reagan

=History= Enrollment in The South Carolina Military Academy increased from 34 students in 1843 to 296 in 1864. The $200 tuition in 1843 increased to $1,200 in 1864. When South Carolina rebelled against the United States in December 1860, Major Robert Anderson (USA) moved his garrison of U.S. troops to Fort Sumter and requested reinforcements from the United States Government. On January 9, 1861, rebel Citadel cadets stationed on Morris Island fired on the U.S. steamer Star of the West, which was attempting to supply Fort Sumter with troops and supplies. Citadel supporters often claim this as the first overt act of the American Civil War. On January 28, 1861, the Corps of Cadets were made part of the South Carolina military and were known as The Battalion of State Cadets. The Arsenal and The Citadel continued to operate as military academies, however, classes were often disrupted when the governor called the cadets into military service. Mounting and manning heavy guns, guard duty and escorting prisoners were among the services performed by the cadets. On February 18, 1865, The Citadel ceased operation as a college when United States troops entered Charleston and occupied the site. The Arsenal was burned by the United States Army under Sherman and never reopened. The Citadel was closed for 17 years between 1865 and 1882, when the academy was reopened by an act of the U.S. Congress and the S.C. General Assembly. The original Citadel was on Marion Square in downtown Charleston. In 1922 the college moved to its present location, approximately 100 acres of marsh and high ground along the banks of the Ashley River.

By legislative act of January 28, 1861, the cadets at The Arsenal in Columbia and The Citadel in Charleston were made part of the military organization of the State of South Carolina. They were known as the Battalion of State Cadets and participated in the following engagements from 1861 to 1865. As a result of these services, The Citadel is authorized to carry nine battle streamers:

• Star of the West, Jan. 9, 1861
• Wappoo Cut Nov. 1861
• James Island June 1862
• Charleston and Vicinity, July-October, 1863
• James Island June, 1864
• Tulifinny December, 1864
• James Island, December, 1864-February, 1865
• Williamston May 1865
• Confederate States Army (larger gray)

Table of contents

1 Sports 2 Minority Students 3 The Band of Gold 4 Campus Changes 5 Alumni 6 Fictional Depictions 7 Additional Pictures

Sports

The school's sports teams are called the Bulldogs. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-AA, and the Southern Conference. Those cadets who participate in varsity athletics are required to report a month earlier for "athletic cadre" so that they can participate in their sport practices when normal cadre starts. During the athletic cadre, they are initiated into the Corps while completing first-week experiences, such as "Hell Week". However, controversy has ensued over the varsity team players, known as "Corp Squad". Some athletes feel that their presence is for the sake of sports, not "unnecessary cadet activities". Furthermore, varsity practices occupy a majority of the cadets’ daily life, thus further separating cadets from their athletic peers.

Minority Students

After enrolling in 1966, Charles Foster became the first African-American cadet to graduate from the Citadel in 1970.

On January 20, 1994, Shannon Faulkner, by court order after a two-year court fight, became the first female student to take day classes at The Citadel. After additional legal battles, Faulkner joined the Corps of Cadets on August 15, 1995. One week later she resigned, due to exhaustion and complaining of harrasment. Prior to Ms. Faulkner, there was no male or female option on the application; it was simply assumed that all applicants were men.

On May 8, 1999 Nancy Mace became the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel. Her father was Commandant of Cadets at the time. The first African-American women graduated on May 11, 2002. The Citadel, like the US military, has adopted gender norming for physical fitness tests. This means, for example, that while a male cadet of age 17 will have to run two miles in thirteen minutes to achieve the maximum score, a female of the same age will have to run the two miles in fifteen minutes and thirty-six seconds to achieve the same score. class="external">[1 [1] [1] [1]

The admission of women has been deeply unpopular in this tradition-clad school. Many male students believe female students are given unfair advantages in physical-fitness requirements and Honor Court dispute, among other things.

The Band of Gold

The Citadel and its graduates take pride in their ring. Following The Citadel's traditions, the ring's design has remained essentially unchanged since its creation. The Citadel ring design contains 14 symbols of importance to students, and which 4th class cadets are required to learn.

=Life at The Citadel Today= , The Citadel is an institution with a "corps of cadets". However The Citadel earns its reputation as an unforgiving experience and, some say, the hardest and longest freshmen year of all senior military colleges and academies. Nonetheless with the expansion of the college, and its attempt to invigorate academics on the campus, The Citadel had begun evening classes civilian classes as well as graduate studies (called CGPS). Nonetheless most of The Citadel life revolves around cadet activities. The incoming freshmen are fourth classmen and are referred to as "Knobs" (also "Smacks", "Freaks", or "Plebes"). While the knobs undergo basic training during what is called "Hell Week," the culminating ritual of "Hell Night" insures their placement as the lowly fourth-class cadets. Throughout the year knobs are forced to memorize "knob knowledge" such as: The Battle Streamers, The Alma Mater, The Cadet Prayer, The Presidents (Name, Date and Service), The Cadet Creed, The Prayer of the Citadel, Tour of Campus (identifying names, dates, location of buildings), as well as their Company, Battalion, and Regimental Chain of Command (called TO&E).

However above all, all cadets must remember the cadet honor code: "A Cadet will neither lie, nor cheat nor steal, nor tolerate those who do." These words provide the foundation of The Citadel and exemplify the great importance of honor to the institution. The Cadet's greatest challenge is managing daily cadet life with their college academics. The most obvious way to identify a knob around campus is by their walking pace around anywhere on campus. Each cadet is to ordered to "step it out" which is equivalent to a normal jogging speed but speed walking. Furthermore the second most identifiable trait of a knob is called "bracing". Bracing is the action of rolling shoulders back, tucking the chin in, forcing your arms to your side without any gap, and at times, bending your back over 45 degrees. While its description may seem harmless, it is assured by cadets that several hours of this can lead to indescribable pain to the lower back region. While other academies receive their training prior to the academic sessions, knobs are faced with daily "activities" held by upperclassmen that occupy most of their lives. The reference "Knob" is to the shaved heads of the fourth class that make them look like doorknobs. Female cadets do not shave their heads but are required to maintain short lengths even as upperclassmen. This issue has been recently brought up as other females in the military as well as academies could grow their hair and place it in a bun. Over extensive deliberation the Citadel Board of Visitors have denied this privilege. Uniform preparation also follows The Citadel tradition of taking the extremities not observed in academies and senior military colleges. Many times cadets are to sand down brass from buckles, covers, and even make metal backings for their insignia out of brass. "Old Corp" (Heel and Sole) becomes the ritual application, from shoes to areas behind the belt. The problem The Citadel faces today is the poor average GPA shown in the freshmen class. this issue seems inevitable as Knobs are often awake until the early mornings preparing their uniform, than having to start college academics. Weekends, while often relief, are often filled with SMI's (Saturday Morning Inspection). However unlike other colleges, knobs are forced to stay up all night many times insuring that their room is prepared for inspection; going to extents of ironing proper crease-folds on their racks (beds). It is further assumed that by Winter Break most of Knob-life has been well adjusted to. Yet on the contrary, as Knobs report back after Christmas break, they are faced with new leadership: the Sophomore Class. With new leadership, come more pressure and more "activities" to successfully occupy the hours. Knobs are always called by their last names and are not allowed to know or utter the first names of upperclassmen. All upperclassmen are referred to as "Mr." or "Miss" before and after the statement (known as "the sir sandwich." Freshman are not allowed to speak in the first person in all situations except for classroom settings, the proper way to describe oneself their freshman year is, "This Cadet Private." The culminating point of their training is Recognition Day that occurs sometime around final exams. Recognition Day is a brutal crucible of Military Drill, Cleanliness, Inspections, and Physical Training. Recognition Day ends in a final "Spirit Run", a number of pushups (called a class set) that indicates the year the cadet is graduating in (105 for the class of 2005), and finally the ceremony where all of the upperclassmen (sophomores, juniors, seniors) shake the hands of the knobs, call them by their first names, and welcome then into the Corps of Cadets as upperclassmen. Some may criticize The Citadel and call their "tradition" unprofessional. Perhaps this may be the case, and in exchange the institution is often famed for its ritual-like induction and life of the "knobs" as described in Lords of Discipline (written by Citadel alumnus Pat Conroy). But it is through the process of getting accepted and “recognized” in which graduates procure their greatest pride. To them it is merely surviving the tradition experienced by those before them and branding their past forever with the ring; the true life as none other than The Citadel cadet.

Each class (not just the fourth class) is bound by the tradition of progression; only receiving privileges as they rise in seniority and rank. At the direction of the Regimental Commander, such privileges are normally set forth at the beginning of the second semester:

• Freshman: Nothing but to serve the upperclass
• Sophomores: "Cut the quad". The right to walk across the checkboard quadrangle in the middle of each barracks.
• Juniors: "Cut the deck" and the Blazer uniform. The right to cut across the Parade Field in the middle of campus, and the right to wear the Blazer uniform during periods of general leave.
• Seniors: Get their rings and diplomas.

As the Citadel Prayer states: "Give me a boy, Oh God, who is wiling to learn the true value of honor, the necessity of perseverance and loyalty, and the meaningfulness of devotion to God and country. And I shall take this boy as does a blacksmith take a crude piece of metal, and place him over a forge whose liberating flame of education is fired by the bellows of strict military discipline. Into this ingot of a man I shall temper self-respect and self-discipline, fear of God and respect for mankind, appreciation of freedom and awareness of what sacrifices must be made to preserve freedom, and above all an insatiable desire for truth and honesty. And when all these things I have done, I shall brand my finished work with a ring of gold to let all of humanity know that I have given back to the world a ...Citadel Man."

Campus Changes

The campus has recently undergone a barracks renovation program. This program began with the construction of Watts Barracks (1996), the demolition and rebuilding of Murray Barracks (reopened 1999) and most recently, the demolition and rebuilding of Padgett-Thomas Barracks. The new "PT Barracks" is visually identical to the original barracks, the first built when the college moved from downtown Charleston to its home on the banks of the Ashley River. Law Barracks is currently being demolished, with plans to rebuild it on site. This leaves Stevens Barracks as the last of the "original" barracks on campus, and it will most likely be torn down once Law Barracks is rebuilt and 3rd Battalion moves back into its original home.

In the summer of 2000, a barracks constructed of trailers were moved onto campus across from Watts Barracks to house the Regimental Band during the transitional period of the Padgett-Thomas rebuild. The Regimental Band now lives in its original home in 2nd Battalion, and Palmetto Battery has moved from 1st Battalion (Murray Barracks) to the trailers. However as of the summer of 2005, Palmetto Battery will move into 4th Battalion (Stevens Barracks) and the location of the trailers soon to be turned into space for additional parking.

With recent changes made on the institution, the Graves of Gissinger can unfortunately, no longer be found on campus.

Alumni

About a third of the graduates traditionally go into military service and the others go to graduate schools or professions. Citadel alumni have distinguished themselves by taking leading roles in business and government. Over the years, 342 Citadel alumni have reached the top ranks in the military by becoming flag officers (generals, rear admirals or commodores). Alumni of The Citadel have served their country in all wars involving the U.S. Citadel alumni have been killed in action during the Civil War (49), World War I (15), World War II (280), Korean War (32), Vietnam (68), Lebanon (1), Grenada (1), and the Gulf War (1).

Online Source: [1] Book Source: http://print.google.com/print%3Fq%3Dthe%2520citadel%26oi%3Dprint&pg=0_1&printsec=0&sig=Ivix8fTFiQBS_7tdxHVAop5fJCA" class="external">[1]

Some Citadel alumni have distinguished themselves in business and government. Most Citadel alumni achieve their highest goals in life. These are but a few who have achieved notable success:

Military

• MG Lewis G. Merritt, USMC—Pioneer in Marine Corps aviation; honored with the renaming of the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, SC, in his memory—Class of 1917 (deceased)
• GEN Edwin A. Pollock, USMC—Former Commander of the Pacific and Atlantic Fleet Marine Forces—Class of 1921 (deceased)
• MAJ Thomas D. Howie, USA—World War II hero; “The Major of St. Lo”; leader of the battalion that captured St. Lo (where he was killed)—Class of 1929 (deceased)
• MG James A. Grimsley, Jr., USA, Ret.—16th President of The Citadel; served in various high-level staff positions in the Pentagon & NATO, including duty as Director of Security Assistance Plans & Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; one of three presidents in the history of The Citadel to hold the designation of President Emeritus—Class of 1942
• LTG George M. Seignious II, USA, Ret.—14th President of The Citadel; Former Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense; Director, Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Delegate-at-large to the SALT talks; Former President, Atlantic Council of the US—Class of 1942
• LTG Claudius E. Watts III, USAF, Ret.—17th President of The Citadel; Fullbright Scholar; Former Comptroller of the USAF—Class of 1958
• GEN William W. Hartzog, USA, Ret.–Former Commanding General, Army Training & Doctrine Command —Class of 1963
• LTG Frank C. Libutti, USMC, Ret.—Former Commander, Marine Forces Pacific; Special Assistant for Homeland Security, New York, NY—Class of 1966
• BG Michael L. Bozeman, USAR—Former Commandant of Cadets, Virginia Military Institute—Class of 1967
• LTG John B. Sams, Jr., USAF, Ret.—Former Commander of 15th AF, Travis AFB—Class of 1967
• LTG William M. Steele, USA—Former Commanding General, USA/Pacific—Class of 1967
• LTG William P. Tangney, USA—Deputy Commander, Joint Special Operations Command—Class of 1967
• LTG John Costello, USA, Ret.—Former Commanding General, USA Space & Missile Defense Command—Class of 1969
• LTG Colby M. Broadwater III, USA—Chief of Staff for the United States European Command in Germany—Class of 1972
• LTG John W. Rosa, USAF—Academy Superintendent, USAF Academy USAFA—Class of 1973

Government

• Ernest F. Hollings—Former US Senator from South Carolina—Class of 1942
• John C. West—Former Governor of South Carolina; former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia—Class of 1942 (deceased)
• W. Brantley Harvey―Former Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina―Class of 1951
• Falcon B. Hawkins, Jr.—US District Judge/South Carolina—Class of 1958
• Stephen E. Buyer—US Congressman/Indiana District 5—Class of 1980

Sports

• Paul L. Maguire—ESPN sports analyst; former professional football player (one of only 12 players to play from the inception of the American Football League until its merger with the NFL);
• W. Calvin (Cal) McCombs—Head football coach, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA;

Other

• Arland D. Williams, Jr.—Died heroically following the Air Florida Flight 90 crash into the 14th Street Bridge and Potomac River in Washington, DC, in January 1982. Before he sank to his death in the icy water, he saved the lives of five others by passing to them the lifeline lowered for him by a rescue helicopter.—Class of 1957 (deceased)

Fictional Depictions

Pat Conroy's 1980 novel The Lords of Discipline was based on Conroy's experience as a cadet at The Citadel during the 1960s. This book highlights the type hazing experienced by knobs at The Citadel, but also shows the closeness and brotherhood that develops between the knobs as they endure taunting by upper classmen. An interesting fact about Pat Conroy is that when this novel was published, the Board of Visitors decided to take away Conroy's ring due to the undeniable similiarity between the portrayed military institution and The Citadel, as well as its portrayal of hazing and death. The ring was given back only after Pat Conroy had made a public announcement that his past experience as a cadet did not have any influence over the novel. The Lords of Discipline was made into a movie starring David Keith and Robert Prosky in 1983.

Additional Pictures

Southern Conference:    Appalachian State University | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | The Citadel | College of Charleston | Davidson College | Elon University | Furman University | Georgia Southern University | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Virginia Military Institute | Western Carolina University | Wofford College

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