Students from Salve Regina and Roger Williams Universities are also enrolled in the URI ROTC Battallion. All nominations should include information about the individual’s civilian and military background with sufficient details to evaluate the candidate. Any military, civilian and/or volunteer activities the nominee has participated in will be considered.
The candidate’s current address and phone number/email address, or next of kin/relative’s address and phone number for a deceased nominee, must be provided. All nominations should be sent directly to Lt. Col. Cheryl Poppe, 27 Bradford St., Salem, Mass., 01970-1503, before Jan 31. Formal induction is planned for Sept. 2003 at URI’s Kingston Campus.
The University of Rhode Island has offered courses in military science since its founding in 1894 by Capt. William W. Wetherspoon, who was later named chief of staff of the U.S. Army. Under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862, also known as the Land Grant Act, state colleges set up military training units to prepare the college students for leadership in the event of a national emergency.
Since 1919, more than 1,600 cadets have been commissioned officers in the active and reserve components of the army. Approximately 25,000 students have taken basic ROTC courses at the URI during the same period. Military science courses have been offered on a voluntary basis since the 1965 to 1966 academic year.
Media Contact: Jan Wenzel, 874-2116, Stephanie Paquette, 874-2116