Culver Military Academy - Roll Call Yearbook (Culver, IN)

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H01 THIS? HIS is the mythical average first classman that you have heard about. He's not so mythical either, for his identity in actual flesh and blood is pretty well established. He is five feet ten inches tall, weighs one hundred and fytyjive pounds, has brown hair and blue eyes, has attended Culver three years, comes from the 1V iddle Wfest, and has a set of very definite ideas. For example, he was a staunch Republican in the presidential campaign, is broad-minded in his reli- gious views, believes the United States should give all po.s- sible aid to Britain, says that Buick is his favorite car, calls Ginger Rogers his favorite movie actress, expects to go to college and then into business, and thinlfs C. II. A. ought to have spring vacations. But why tell you about him when he can speak for himseU? And while he is spealfingfor him- seU, he will tell you the story of Culver as he sees it-not as it appears in the eyes of his mother andfather nor in the eyes of thefaculty nor in the eyes of the public but in his own eyes and with his own words. But here he is .... Culver is one of my favorite topics ry' conversation, in fact I have learned so much about it Cas well a.s at itj that I hardly know where to begin. I think I shall start by taking you through C. II. A. on a Tour of Inspection. I shall introduce you first to the nzen who made the wheels go 'round in 1941 ....

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, 2 - -4 ..1g,,,,,,. -L in U COLONEL W. E. GREGORY , , T V L -4 f . ff 1' g ., , F' , ' ' V-1 . COLONEL A. R. ELLIOTT H0 MAKE THE HEEL G0 ROUN EN are al the heart of any organization. If you take a careful look at the men who run Culver, you will see why this school is what it is. Last Qlune the trustees promoted COLONEL WILLIAM EDWARD GREGORY from Acting Superintendent to full rank. The Colonel, I guess, is the sort of man who would have done well in what- ever line of work he took up-in his years here hc's cer- tainly shown the sort of ability I hope CGod willingj I can show in my own time. Hees done just about everything there is to do around the school, and no one can honestly say he knows more about how the school runs, inside and out. Starting as a plebe Math instructor, with only a B.S. degree from Miami University, he has spent the last seven- teen years in playing an increasingly important role in the affairs of the Academy. He earned a reserve commission- first in Cavalry, then in Field Artillery, his present branch. He earned an M.A. from Michigan, and an Ed.M. from Harvard and will before long have completed the research necessary for his Doetor's Degree in Education from the latter. Last year Colgate granted him an honorary Litt.D. All this is in addition to busy terms as teacher, tactical Officer, administrative officer, Dean, and finally Superin- tendent. For my money, that's a career for any man to be proud of, and to have reached this position before the age of forty is really something. As Superintendent, Dr. Gregory is the final authority on Academy affairs-the last decision is always his, he confers with the Board of Directors, engages new faculty members, supervises the work of all departments of the school, and generally sees that things move as they should. Being head of a million- dollar-a-year organization is no easy job, but I've noticed that even a plebe, when he needs it, can get a hearing from the head man. Offhand, Fd say that COLONEL ALLEN ROSCOE ELLIOTT has more titles than anyone else around the school: Chair- man of the Department of Health and Athletics, Executive Officer, Post Adjutant, Secretary of the Culver Legion, and Colonel in the Infantry Reserve are the most im- portant. Being secretary of the Legion means, of course, that he is an alumnus, in fact, except for a few years just after his graduation and his term of service in the Army during the war, heis been here over a quarter of a century, first as a tactical Officer and R.O.T.C. instructor, and later in his present capacities. Few enough of us had any sort of chance to know him well, but those who did can tell tales of a man who is handling a big, tough job with great consci- entiousness and rare ability. He supervises the Alumnus, maintains contact with alumni in all parts of the country, has general supervision over the whole financial program of the school, watches the entire athletic program, keeps an eye on the health of the corps, and in a few days, when the old Iron Gate is set up on the lawn in front of Main Bar- racks, and you walk up one by one, lonesomely, to find yourselves no longer cadets, his will be the voice that reads off the final order, dismissing the Culver that you knew, forever. But the old school will still be here, they say, and glad to see us back, and the Colonel will be one of those who will always keep you posted. Ever notice the number of First Class rings the faculty have? COLONEL CHARLES FRANKLIN MCKINNEY wears one, he began his military career right here at the Acad- emy. At times he seems to know more about you than you do yourself. The Commandantis job is no bed of roses, and it's a rare man who can keep both the respect Qfor conseientiousnessj and the liking Qfor many reasonsj of those over whose lives he has so much control. There isn't