Iowa Wesleyan College - Croaker Yearbook (Mount Pleasant, IA)

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THE 1919 CROAKER jfffltlttarp Until the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Wesleyan had a regularly organized military department under the supervision of a United States Army officer, commissioned and sent here by the War Department. When the men marched away to free Cuba the officer was withdrawn and along with him a great deal of the equipment. The Department was not restored until April, 1917. President Wilson signed the Declaration of War on April 6th. On the following day a squad of men were actively drilling on the West Campus under the supervision of Postmaster Stanley Miller, a veteran officer of the Spanish-Amcrican War. Military Training was immediately made compulsory and Wesleyan has the distinction of being the first American college to adopt military training as a part of its curriculum. The department was immediately recognized by the War Department, as a part of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Wesleyan will always be under a debt of gratitude to Captain Miller, who without thought of compensation drilled the men for long hours in the afternoons. The large number of Wesleyan men who won commissions, as well as the non-commissioned officers and privates, can not speak too highly of the benefit of this training to them. It was hoped this year that the government would be able to detail an officer to take charge of the department, but after extended communication with the Secretary of War, this was found to be impossible. Fortunately for the college Rilea Doe, a senior, just back from the Officers’ Training Camp at Ft. Snelling, Minn., was secured to instruct the men in the rudiments of Military Science. With the assistance of a number of students who had had some training he was able to continue the department through the year in a manner that reflected credit to himself and will prove of great service to the men themselves. Military 'Draining will continue as one of the Departments at Iowa Wesleyan, even after the close of the war. To prepare our young men to lead the armies of democracy is one of the great duties of the American College. Incidentally might be stated the fact that Wesleyan has furnished soldiers for four great wars, Mexican, Civil, Spanish-Amcrican and Philippine, as well as the present titanic conflict that has claimed so many sons of Iowa’s pioneer institution of higher learning. CAPTAIN' DOE