ROTC Was Established at UO in 1916;
Emerald Opposed It Originally
By Paul Keefe
The development of the Ileservo
Officer Training Corp program on
the Oregon campus haa extended
over a period of 36 years. The
inllitary department la planning on
further development and expansion
here at Oregon.
The army haa Increased 1 t a
quota for advanced students as
haa the air force. The ulr force has
established two more options, or
career fields, to facilitate the ex
pansion.
Strong Opposition
The first factual Information
about a military program at Ore
gon la from the Mar. 12, 1915 Em
erald. In that Issue campus offi
cials expressed their strong op
position to a "military Instruction
program" here. The view was re
flected in an Emerald editorial
which also opposed any such plan.
The first positive move toward
the establishment of the ROTC
program was the presentation of
a petition, signed by 100 students,
to the administration asking for
a voluntary drill.
Petition Presented
The petition was presented to
the faculty on Mar. 18. 1916, and
the first drill was held Mar. 29,
1916, in the Eugene armory. The
drill was under the direction of
Col. C. C. Hammond, Oregon Na
tional Guard, and J. D. Foster and
Ed Harwood, Oregon students who
were elected temporary cadet
captains.
The first drills were voluntary
with HO at the first and 62 at the
second After the second drill ten
tative plans were made for an
exhibition drill during Junior
Weekend but cancelled because of
lack of experience.
On#* Hour Credit firunted
The Emerald announced on Jan.
9. 1919, that the faculty had de
cidcd to grant one hour credit for
drill and all men students would
be required to attend three drill
periods a week, unless physically
disabled or because of “consci
entious objection."
Col. William H. C. Bowen, then
head of the military department,
announced that any student who
failed to comply with the rules
would be suspended from all Uni
versity classes. He also said that
the first uniforms had arrived,
(irowth Steady
No figures are available on the
number of students who attended
the early drills, except the first
two, but growth from 1921 was
steady. Five hundred were enrolled
in the military department in 1921,
25 in upper-division courses; near
ly 1000 in 1929,/ and 1093 winter
term 1951-52. Of the present num
ber 294 ure in army basic, 128 In
▼ army advanced, 407 in air force
basic, and 104 in air force ad
vanced.
With this progress several other
organizations have evolved. The
KOTO band was organized in 1924,
discontinued for the war years and
reactivated in 1947. The rifle club
dates back as far as 1928 when
they won their first trophy. The
actual date that they organized is
not available. A woman’s rifle
When a Young
Mans Fancy
Turns to Love'1
BRISTOWS
Jewelers
620 Willamette
i
team wiih active during 1940-42
but wiih discontinued. Scabbard
and Blade, military honorary, re
ceived ltd charter In 192X, waa In
active during the war but reac
tivated In 1947.
Optional Banin Requested
Throughout the 1930's spasrnod
ic driven called for HOTO on an
optional bantu. During one of the
driven for optional KOTO, a coun
ter-drive, inninting on compulsory
l*OTC, be launched. Nothing came
of any of the driven.
In 193S Gordon Connelly, an
Oregon student, charged that the
military program wan “valueless,
a waste of time and han no legiti
mate place an a compulsory fea
ture of a liberal university." He
said that he would not attend
KOTO classes or drills.
Referred to Faculty
lli.n case was referred to a fac
ulty committee but no positive
action was taken for five months.
During that time, student opinion
seems to have favored his stand.
The faculty committee decided
that he was exempt because of
"conscientious objection."
Upper-division ROTO was dis
continued from 1942-43 through the
l94r)-46 school years. Classes were
again held hi 1940 and the air
force KOTO program was added.
General Mark Clark, as com
manding general of the 6th Army,
provided a highlight in the Oregon
KOTC history when he visited the
campus on May 4, 1949. He is the
highest ranking officer to ever
visit the University. He was here
to inspect ROTC facilities and con
fer with University officials.”
Born Under Fire
BOSTON (U.Ri Mra. Ethlet Mur
ray. 35, gave birth to a baby in her
apartment even an firemen were
fighting a fire in the upper floora
of the buiPling.
Another Big Egg
FORT WORTH, Tex (U.R) — A
half-pound egg nine inches long
arid seven inches around the mid
dle was laid by a White Rock hen
owned by the J. W. Henrys.
Oregon was very slightly favojp
ed to defeat Idaho at Eugene whw
they met in 1949. The Ducks won
41-0, the largest margin in tha
history of the Webfoot-Vandal
series.
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