History of Army ROTC at SDSU
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Classes for 61 students began at this Land-Grant College on September 24, 1884. Military History was taught at that time and the Military Department was headed by a civilian, Professor Robert F. Kerr, who was also in charge of Political Economics and Practical Business. The following year an Army officer, Captain W. S. Bentley was assigned here. Since then, many officers have served as head of the Military Science department, including General Omar N. Bradley  , who was assigned here as a Captain in 1919. Colonel Dwight L. Adams served two tours as head of the Military Science Department and is the only Professor of Military Science Emeritus in the Nation.
By 1886, uniforms and breech loading muskets were furnished to the cadets for drill. The cadets marched on the campus grounds and attended lectures and recitations. By the third fall term two cadet companies had been formed and held their first dress parade on October 19, 1886.
In the early part of the century, the military band was formed and was the only band the college had for many years. Headed by Carl Christensen for 50 years, the band retained its military character until the 1950s. The band played for reviews, parades, athletic events and concerts. In 1904 the band traveled to St. Louis to play at the World's Fair. Information on the performances of the band can be found in the reference work "Bands of the St. Louis World's Fair: Information, Photographs, and Database." by Richard and Iris Schwartz. The band performed numerous times between July 14th and July 23rd 1904. |
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 |  | | South Dakota Agricultural College Cadet Band & Company Louisiana Purchase Exposition June 27, 1904
(source: Van Dusen Fishback) |
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Following passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, the Army ROTC unit was formally established. It remained compulsory until a decision by the Board of Regents in December 1968 made the basic ROTC program voluntary for freshmen in 1969 and thereafter. Air Force ROTC was activated at South Dakota State University shortly after the Air Force reentered the ROTC field in 1946. It is the only Air Force ROTC program in the state. During the mandatory program, a division of all male freshmen was made by SDSU which provided 60% to the Army ROTC program and 40% to the Air Force. The high point of Army ROTC enrollment was in 1967-68 with 1,362 ROTC cadets and in 1969-72 our enrollment was in the Upper 2 percent in the Nation. On a percentage basis of Army ROTC enrollment to total male enrollment, we ranked 11th of 275 Army ROTC host institutions, and when considered only among those hosting two or more services, we ranked first. From 1924-2001 we commissioned 2,798 officers with the largest class of 177 in 1970.
This detachment was selected as one of ten schools in the Nation to participate in a coed ROTC test program and was the first in the Nation to enroll coeds in ROTC. BG Mildred Bailey, Women's Army Corps, visited the detachment in May 1972 to officiate at the enrollment. The coed enrollment was second in size to Penn State that year. On 1 May 1976 General William E. DePuy, TRADOC Commander, administered the oath here to the first women in the Nation to be commissioned through Army ROTC. He is a 1941 alumnus of SDSU.
In 1975 the department observed the Bicentennial of the Army with a Colonial Drill Team and Color Guard which performed at various college and state high school events and appeared on national TV during a Vikings game at Bloomington, Minnesota.
Two area colleges were approved by Headquarters Fourth ROTC Region as satellite schools to this host institution, with classes beginning in Fall Semester 1980. Dakota State College at Madison, South Dakota, 40 miles SW, is a cross-enrolled school, and Northern State College, 150 miles NE at Aberdeen, South Dakota, is an extension center.
Over the years, this unit has become known as "West Point of the Plains" because of the quality and quantity of officers produced. The West Point of the Plains Association was organized in 1978 for alumni of the SDSU Army ROTC program, due to the esprit de corps existing among the grads and former cadre of the program.
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