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

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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

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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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a man at Culver who can honestly say that Colonel Mac hasn't been the squarest shooter he knows. Those eagles on his shoulders were earned at a pretty early age, too- whatever he does seems to be done efficiently and well. At the Faculty Hobby Show there were some professional- looking pieces of furniture that came from the Com- mandant's workshop-a lot of personal activities seem to be carried on after just about the longest working day of anyone connected with the Academy. I've seen him at all sorts of hours, around the buildings and grounds, inspect- ing, checking, seeing that the conduct and morale of the corps were all that they should be. When you went on the carpet for a bawling-out, you got it hard, but you knew you deserved it, and you bore no hard feelings. On the other hand, when you went into the double office to the left of the Sally Port on business, you soon found that the Colonel and Miss Romig were two people who really knew their jobs and with whom it was a real pleasure to work. JOHN SEDDON FLEET, Colonel, CMA, has been connected with Culver almost since the day it was started. His father was the head of the old Missouri Military Academy that moved here at the invitation of our founder, when its own plant burned down, soon after Culver had been launched. The Colonel was thus one of the earliest cadets, and soon after his arrival, he was helping to establish the Maroonis reputation on the athletic field. From here he went to the University of Virginia, and later abroad, to study many things, but mainly his beloved classics. When he addresses us as Gentlemen,', he makes us feel like gentlemen, be- cause he's so very sincere and convincing in everything he does. I wasn't any great shakes as a Latin student, so I didn't get much chance to know him till last fall, but since then I've found him a most sympathetic- and well-informed advisor to me as well as tl1e rest of the First Class. My choice of a college, and to a large extent my certainty that it's the right one for my needs and plans and abilities Csueh as they arej, I owe to his courteous and generous advice. Ilve never known him to appear hurried, and l've never known him to waste words. In all my life, 1 never expect to meet anyone who so honestly, courteously, consider- ately, and kindly means exactly what he says. In charge of admissions is COLONEL JOHN IIENDERSON, who came to Culver in June, 1919, shortly after leaving the army. He enlisted as a private in 1917, attended the fourth Officers, Training Camp, became Assistant Adjutant of the Coast Artillery Schools, and before the end of the war was Assistant to the Chief of Coast Artillery at Washing- ton. Some rise! From the time of his arrival here until 1930 he was Y.M.C.A. secretary and the following year took over his present job as Admissions Director. From 192-1 till 1930 he was Commandant of the Summer Wooclcraft School and for two years commanded the Culver City post of the American Legion, as well as doing a great deal of 'Yi work. Since 1935 he has been treasurer of the Culver Fathers' Association. llis department is one of the biggest, busiest, and most important in the school. But we must move along now to get a cadet's-eye-view of the plant .... COLONEL C. F. MCKINNEX CIOIKJNICI. J. S. Fl.ICIC'l' COLONEL J. W. IIENDERSON