Military Department Records
This collection houses morning reports, absence reports, accounts of military offences, notes, grade books, and other materials documenting the University of Tennessee's Military Department between 1889 and 1917.
Dates
- 1889-1917
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite, and a minimum of 2 business days are needed to retrieve these items for use. Researchers interested in consulting any of the collections are advised to contact Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Use
The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet
Abstract
This collection houses morning reports, absence reports, accounts of military offences, notes, grade books, and other materials documenting the University of Tennessee's Military Department between 1889 and 1917.
Biographical/Historical Note
The University of Tennessee's Military Department was established in 1870 under the provisions of the Morrill Act (1862). Students (properly called cadets) were taught by Army officers and required to wear uniforms, abide by military regulations, and endure military forms of punishment when they broke the rules. Charles W. Dabney began reorganizing the University when he assumed the Presidency in 1887 and the military regime was significantly relaxed. The military department remained strong, however, and students engaged in competitive drills, staged battles (including the Campaign of '92, in which one group of cadets attacked the Hill while another defended it), and artillery instruction. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) was organized in 1916, and UT's cadet corps became a senior unit in the new organization. The program was compulsory until 1967, when voluntary 2- and 4-year programs replaced the freshman-sophomore requirement.
Arrangement
This collection consists of three boxes divided into two series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Student Discipline, 1889-1916
- Series II: Department Business, 1896-1917
Acquisition Note
This collection is property of the University of Tennessee Archives.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository