ROTC AT A-STATE: STILL STANDING STRONG AT 85

In the fall of 1936, several young men at what was then Arkansas State College became the first cadets in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. They could never have imagined the events in the fall of 2021, when the current cadets, instructional staff and program alumni gathered to observe the 85th anniversary of Army ROTC at Arkansas State University.

“Festivities held in November combined to make the 85th anniversary a highly memorable time for Army ROTC alumni at A-State,” noted Richard Hartness of Jonesboro, commander of the A-State Army ROTC Alumni Battalion, a chapter of the A-State Alumni Association. “Beginning with the annual military ball, continuing with the ceremony celebrating the naming of the Frederick C. Turner Jr. Military Science Building, and the induction of four individuals into the Hall of Heroes, the anniversary celebration featured numerous activities.”

Retired Maj. Gen. George Barker, ’55, was featured speaker for the military ball, where special guests included retired Col. Denise M. Beaumont, ‘94, retired Lt. Col. Steven D. Beaumont, ‘94, and retired Lt. Col. Henry (Herb) Sennett Jr., ‘68. The fourth inductee, late Maj. Gen. Boniface Campbell, one of the three Army officers on the initial cadre for the ROTC program, was represented by a grandson, Peter Rowan Sr.

The Beaumonts, who happen to be the first married couple inducted into the Hall of Heroes simultaneously, are the parents of current Cadet Zach Beaumont. Family, friends and former associates of retired Lt. Col. Frederick C. Turner Jr. gathered Nov. 5 to hear remarks from him and from others during a dedication ceremony for the Military Science Building that now bears his name.

Other highlights during the 85th anniversary celebration included a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony for Arkansas State and the National Guard, regarding agreements for the A-State satellite office at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, and 23 cadets took their contracting oath to signify their commitment to completing their degree and commissioning into active duty, National Guard or Reserve service for the U.S. Army.

“The 85th anniversary events, and every day our doors are open, provides an opportunity for those with storied careers to return to their alma mater, share their success and wisdom with others, and enjoy the continued tradition of camaraderie,” added Lt. Col. J. Morgan Weatherly, professor of military science. “I encourage anyone, at any point in or beyond their military career, to visit the nation’s best ROTC program, share their stories, and let us share with you our progress as a program and the vision for the future.”

Military Presence Began in 1923

Hartness, ’68 ‘78 ’14, who completed a master’s degree and completed coursework toward a doctorate in heritage studies at A-State, researched details of the ROTC program’s first 85 years. He donated

a copy of his work for public review at the university’s Archives and Special Collections.

The ROTC alumnus traced Arkansas State’s long relationship with the military, explaining the U.S. Army’s presence on the Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College campus actually began in 1923. Working with A&M administrators, and with authority of the National Defense Authorization Act of 1920, the Army established the 206th Coast Artillery (anti-aircraft), involving 59 A&M students.

With designated state funding, a National Guard armory was built on campus and opened in the fall of 1926, and continued to serve as home to the local Battery C and the 206th. While many student members of the military went on to earn commissions, Hartness wrote, it was President V.C. Kays who, within a few years, “investigated and found a way to train and commission more U.S. Army officers” through what had developed by then into Arkansas State College.

ROTC Comes to A-State in 1936

“On Jan. 20, 1936, Maj. Gen. Frank Crandall Bolles, U.S. Army War Department spokesman, wrote Sen. Joseph T. Robinson of ‘favorable action’ taken toward accepting ASC’s ‘Field Artillery Senior ROTC unit’ application. The unit was to begin operation ‘upon the opening of the 1936-37 School Year.’ Two days later, President Kays learned of the approval, and quickly shared it with Arkansas State College Herald readers, especially qualified freshmen and sophomore male students whose participation would be mandatory,” Hartness wrote.

Indeed the ROTC unit opened in fall 1936 and has continued to play an integral role in the history of today’s Arkansas State University. Countless young men participated in the program over the next 35 years until the mandatory requirement was dropped by the university’s Board of Trustees in spring 1971. That fall, the military science program began accepting female students as cadets. During the Turner Building dedication ceremony, retired Maj. Gen. Barker said close to 2,000 cadets had been commissioned as Army officers through ROTC, a remarkable achievement for the program.

Hartness’ research recounts the unit’s development, the impact of World War II, the leadership of various officers who directed the military science programs, the addition in 1939 of a new building to house military science (now home to the Neil Griffin College of Business), and the current Turner Building, which opened in 1957 as a National Guard Armory and home to A-State’s military science program, the only one in the state to have its own indoor range and rappelling tower, and the only non-military academy in the nation to have its own ROTC Living-Learning Community.

The ROTC program celebrates its long and storied history of producing top-quality leaders of the finest character. May the next 85 years bring continued success for ROTC at Arkansas State University.