The Citadel - Sphinx Yearbook (Charleston, SC)

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Laying of the cornerstone. New Citadel, Thanksgiving Day, 1920. sion that came about with the advent of General Charles P. Summerall in 1931. On October 1, 1908, Major O. J. Bond was appointed superintendent, and he served in this capacity until 1931. Two years after his appointment to the superintendency of the Acad- emy, the South Carolina Legislature aptly changed the name of the school from The South Carolina Mili- tary Academy to The Citadel, The Military Col- lege of South Carolina. Life at the military college was uneventful until 1917, when this nation was involved in the conflict later to be known as World War L As in the first major conflict to involve our nation, Citadel men answered the call to arms in this war, and once again there were those Citadel men who made the supreme sacrifice for their country and her cause. During the war the Students ' Army Train- ing Corps was installed at The Citadel, and although there were some changes in the physical form, these changes were not of such a nature as to interfere with the operation after the Armistice. Both at home and overseas The Citadel rendered distinctive service to the Allied cause. Marion Square, the traditional home of the Corps of Cadets, was found to have definite physical limi- tations that hindered the proper growth of The Citadel, and after the war there were hopes that the school might be enlarged. There were some who were quick to realize the potentialities of The Citadel in the near future, but they realized at the same time that the physical limitations of the location on Marion Square would not permit this logical expansion. It was thus concluded that a new location was a neces- sity, and a movement was activated to secure a new location. The Association of Graduates met on Janu- ary 21, 1920, to support the plans for a Greater Citadel. A large tract of land on the banks of the Ashley River was secured, and on November 25, 1920, the cornerstone of The Greater Citadel was laid in Hampton Park. By the fall of 1922 the new Citadel was ready for occupancy, and the last com- mencement exercises of the Old Citadel on Marion Square were held on June 13, 1922. The Citadel progressed beyond all expectations in the period sometimes referred to as the roaring twen- ties. In the new location there was great concen- tration of the development within, and almost every phase of cadet life was touched in this eff ort to pro- vide and maintain the high standards that had marked the institution in previous years. The military instruc- tion was now carried on in conjunction with the Reserve Officers ' Training Corps ' program as pre- scribed by the War Department, and in the annual inspections by the War Department, The Citadel was continually rated Excellent. The athletic program was stressed with a new vigor, and teams from The Citadel won outstanding recognition in the inter- collegiate competition. On December 5, 1924, The Citadel was accepted as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges, a signal distinction, in that this is a recognition of high academic standards. These and many other developments were in keeping with the progressive spirit of the nation. Everyone looked forward to periods hitherto unparalleled in our his- tory, and among the alumni there was great optimism concerning the future of their Alma Mater. This optimism was not without sound reasoning, and the alumni were not to be disappointed. Chapter VII Chapter VII in this story is one that tells of expan- sion, for The Citadel was expanded in both name and physical capacity to the extent that today the institution is recognized as one of the leading mili- [13]

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Astronomical observatory, The Citadel. 1916. the alumni had reason to believe that sooner or later the bill would be approved, and it was with inspired determination that the small group continued their efforts. On December 22. 1879, the General Assembly of South Carolina authorized the Board of Visitors to take steps necessary for the return of the Citadel to the state — but. still the authority was not forth- coming. Finally, on January 29, 1882. the Secretary of War directed General Hunt, commanding officer of the military district in which Charleston was in- cluded, to evacuate the Citadel, and on the last day of the same month the State Legislature passed an act whereby the Academy was to be reopened. With the reactivation of the institution, another chapter in the life of the Citadel was concluded, and at this stage there was no doubt that had it not been for the loyal alumni and their traditional friends. The Wash- ington Light Infantry, the Citadel never would have been reopened. The alumni association paved the way for The Greater Citadel as we know it today. been completely destroyed, and the property had been neglected to such an extent that it was in bad need of repair. Nevertheless, the Academy opened its doors to the first post-war class on October 2. 1882, and on November 13. 1882, the new Board of Visitors met in Ch arleston. Colonel John P. Thomas in his capacity as superintendent guided the school during the first years, and it was largely because of his untir- ing efforts that the school lost none of the discipline for which it had become famous. Colonel Thomas remained in this position until September 15, 1885, when he was succeeded by General George D. John- son. On February 7. 1883. improved Springfield rifles of the cadet pattern were issued to the cadets through the Adjutant and Inspector General. A short time later the Corps of Cadets drilled on the Green, under arms, for the first time since the end of the war. New courses of instruction and a new code of regulations had been prescribed for the institution prior to the entry of the first post-war class, and from these it was evident that seventeen years had not dulled the disciplinary qualities or the high academic standards of other years. The first commencement exercises since the reopening of the Academy took place on July 28, 1886. That the Citadel made sub- stantial progress during the years immediately fol- lowing the reopening is evidenced by the statement of Colonel H. W. Lawton, Inspector General of the United States Army, who inspected the school on May 16, 1892. He said, This is one of the oldest and best known military institutions in the South, and as to drill exercises, characterized them as all being of the first order. On October 1 , 1 890, Colonel Asbury Coward assumed the duties of superintendent, a post which he was to hold for eighteen years. By the turn of the century the Citadel was once again a well-established institution in the educational system of South Carolina — and so ended Chapter V — a chapter which was a dominant part of the Citadel ' s history. Chapter V Chapter V closely resembles Chapter I, in that to reopen the school after seventeen years of hostile occupation was almost as tremendous a task as had been the actual initial movement in 1842. Equip- ment at the Citadel was either badly damaged or had Chapter VI Chapter VI deals with the steady development of the school during the period including the years 1900 to 1931. This particular period is not as spectacular as others, but. nevertheless, it was a period of growth that was to be the preface to the magnificent expan- [12:

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tary colleges of the nation. This period has as its formal opening date, September 12, 1931 — the date on which General Charles P. Summerall assumed the presidency of The Citadel, and the importance of that date can be seen only in the light of present accomplishments. It is fitting that full recognition be given the work of General Summerall so outstand- ing has been his effort to preserve the tradition of The Citadel in more than a decade of progress, the motivation of which originated in the heart of a man who has gladly given his all for that which he deemed essential to our democratic America. It has been said that an institution is merely the lengthening shadow of a great man, and that those who follow the precepts of a great leader reflect that leader ' s personal charac- ter — and so it is in the decade in which General Sum- merall has guided The Citadel. The college itself reflects the efficiency and astute judgment of General Summerall, and the cadets who have served under him reflect the line qualities of character which mark him as an outstanding leader. This has been a glorious period in our history, and the complete recognition of General Summerall ' s work will be realized only in the years to come. By the association of his name with the institu- tion, General Summerall gave to the college immeasur- able prestige. Commanding the famous First Division and later the Fifth, Ninth, and Fourth Army Corps in France, General Summerall exhibited the qualities of a great soldier; and recognition of his ability was realized in 1926, when he was appointed Chief of Staff of the United States Army. In 1929 he was pro- moted to the rank of General, and thus became the first peace-time Chief of Staff to wear the four stars, and the only Southerner ever to have held that rank. With the advent of General Summerall, the college ceased to be recognized only in a localized sense, and has since come to be known throughout the world. In the realization of this success it is fitting to give proud recognition to the many friends of General Summerall who have so generously displayed a beneficent atti- tude that has meant much to the progress of The Citadel. The physical expansion of the college has been outstanding. The cornerstone of the Chapel was laid on September 7, 1936, the Chapel dedicated April 10, 1938; and on April 8, 1940. the Armory was dedicated. By the fall of 1942 two new barracks, 15-inch shell fired at Fori Sumter, given to The Citadel by General Beauregard . sent to West Point by General Hazen, and returned to The Citadel by Secretary of War Stimson. a new Engineering Building, quarters for the faculty officers, an administration building, and annexes to Bond Hall and the mess hall had been completed. To measure the progress of the institution in the academic and military fields is impossible, so unusual has been the rapidity of expansion. The military cus- toms and traditions which so marked the Citadel of Marion Square days have been preserved and added to. The Corps of Cadets, as Senior Reserve Officers ' Training Corps units, has consistently been rated Excellent by the War Department, and Citadel men in the armed forces of the United States are recog- nized for their ability as leaders. Today The Citadel is on the approved list of the Association of American Universities, this being the highest academic recog- nition that a college can be given. Famous personages have had occasion to visit The Citadel in an official capacity in recent years. On June 3, 1932. Colonel Robert R. McCormick delivered the Commencement address. Since then the later Brigadier General Hugh S. Johnson and Alfred Noyes have delivered addresses on similar occasions. The Chief Executive of the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, paid a visit to The Citadel in 1935, and some four years later, April 27, 1940, General Sum- merall and the present Chief of Staff ' . General George C. Marshall, reviewed the Corps of Cadets. [14: