The story of The Citadel is one of compelling vision and rich tradition. Since its founding in 1842, The Citadel has sought to prepare its graduates intellectually, physically and morally to be productive citizens in all walks of life. Remaining true to this vision, The Citadel strives to instill in students the core values of Honor, Duty and Respect in a disciplined academic environment and to prepare its graduates to understand their obligations as citizens and to become principled leaders in their chosen field of endeavor. ;xNLx;Spanning three centuries, The Citadel's enduring legacy of service to the state of South Carolina and the nation is a tradition of which its founding fathers would be justly proud. Citadel graduates have participated in many of the pivotal events in the history of the United States and have fought in every American war since the Mexican War of 1846. Alumni have achieved prominence in such diverse fields as military and government service, science and engineering, education, literature, business, the medical and legal professions and theology. For 175 years, Citadel graduates have answered the call to serve.;xNLx;As an institution that builds character, educates the mind and develops principled leaders, The Citadel embraces the timeless values that have always served this country well. Drawing from a foundation of character, academics, military and fitness, The Citadel’s strong sense of purpose and community will remain relevant for generations to come.
In 1842, the South Carolina Legislature passes an act “to convert the Arsenal in Columbia, and the Citadel and Magazine in and near Charleston, into Military Schools.” On March 20, 1843, 20 cadets report to the Citadel Academy at Marion Square. This date is known as Corps Day. The curriculum includes courses in history, French, math, astronomy, military and civil engineering, physics, chemistry, philosophy, economics, international law, and infantry and artillery tactics.
Capt. William F. Graham is appointed superintendent of the Citadel Academy by the Board of Visitors on February 24, 1843. Born in Newberry, South Carolina, on June 15, 1818, Graham receives his early education in Newberry and attends the United States Military Academy at West Point from 1834-1836. After fourteen months in office, he dies of tuberculosis on April 26, 1844.
In April of 1844, the first association of the Washington Light Infantry and the Corps of Cadets forms a funeral escort for the body of the Citadel Academy's first superintendent, Capt. William Fair Graham. Every February 22 thereafter the cadets escort the Washington Light Infantry on parade, and cadet officers are guests of the Washington Light Infantry at an annual banquet in honor of George Washington. This custom continues today.
Maj. Richard W. Colcock holds the position of superintendent of the Citadel Academy from 1844 until 1852. He dies in 1856 and is buried in Charleston.
In 1846, South Carolina prepares for the Mexican War. Citadel cadets train the South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, which is named the Palmetto Regiment. J. H. Howell, a member of the class of 1846, becomes the first alumnus to fall in battle. Citadel graduates have fought in every American war since the Mexican War of 1846.
The first class of cadets graduates from the Citadel Academy in November of 1846. Charles Courtenay Tew is the First Honor Graduate. After serving as a professor at his alma mater for eleven years, Tew would found Hillsboro N.C. Military Academy. Serving as a colonel in the 2nd North Carolina State Troops, Tew is killed in action at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.
Maj. Francis W. Capers becomes an original faculty member at the Citadel Academy as Professor of Mathematics. In 1853, he becomes superintendent of the Citadel Academy. He resigns in 1859 and dies in 1896 in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Association of Graduates is founded in 1852. Charles Courtenay Tew, Class of 1846, is the first president and John P. Thomas, Class of 1851, is elected secretary.
February 22, 1857, marks the semi-centennial celebration of the Washington Light Infantry. The Washington Light Infantry presents the Corps of Cadets with its first set of colors "as a memorial of common brotherhood." This flag is currently in The Citadel’s museum collection.
Maj. Peter F. Stevens graduates first in his class in 1849. In 1853, he becomes a professor at the Citadel Academy, and, in 1859, he becomes the superintendent of the Citadel Academy. He resigns in 1861 and dies in 1910.
South Carolina secedes from the Union on December 20, 1860. Federal forces under Maj. Robert Anderson occupy Fort Sumter.
The east wing of the Citadel Academy is set aside for manufacturing ammunition. The college continues to operate, but classes are often interrupted when students are called to military service.
In December 1860, Gov. Francis Pickens orders Citadel superintendent Maj. Peter F. Stevens, Class of 1849, and a group of cadets to establish a battery on Morris Island to guard the harbor entrance. On January 9, 1861, Cadet George E. Haynsworth pulls the lanyard to fire shots across the bow of the federal steamer Star of the West.
On January 28, 1861, the same day the state flag is adopted, the South Carolina Legislature amends the original 1842 act establishing the Citadel and Arsenal Academies, which retain their distinctive titles, but now together constitute the South Carolina Military Academy within the military department of the state. The separate companies at the Citadel Academy and the Arsenal Academy when combined form the Battalion of State Cadets. Graduates are eligible for any commissioned office, not above the grade of colonel, in the military organization of the state. The only engagement in which the companies participate as the Battalion of State Cadets is the Battle of Tulifinny.
Maj. James B. White graduates from the Citadel Academy in 1849. He becomes a professor of mathematics in 1856. In 1861, he becomes the fifth superintendent of the Citadel Academy. In 1865, with the Citadel Academy under Federal occupation, he returns to Marion, South Carolina. He actively works with the Association of Graduates in 1877 to reopen the Citadel Academy. He dies in 1906.
Union forces occupy the Citadel Academy and add “U.S.” to the college’s gate. Operation of the Citadel Academy is suspended until 1882. The Arsenal Academy in Columbia is destroyed and never reopens.
In December 1877, alumni of the Citadel Academy meet in Charleston to reconstitute the Association of Graduates. Brig. Gen. Johnson Hagood, Class of 1847, who would later become the governor of South Carolina (1880 - 1882), is elected president of the association. Under Hagood's leadership, the association undertakes a successful campaign to gain general public and political support for reopening The Citadel as an educational institution. In 1878, Gov. Wade Hampton appoints a new of Board of Visitors for The Citadel with Hagood as chairman and five regular members, all of whom were graduates of the Citadel Academy.
Col. John P. Thomas is the first honor graduate in the Class of 1851. He is named superintendent of The Citadel when it reopens in 1882. He resigns in 1885, but he continues to be an active part of the Board of Visitors. He publishes "The History of the South Carolina Military Academy" in 1893. He dies in Columbia, South Carolina in 1912.
The South Carolina General Assembly passes an act to authorize the reopening of the South Carolina Military Academy. On October 2, 1882, 189 cadets report to the college. The Board of Visitors appoints Col. John P. Thomas, Class of 1851, as superintendent.
February 22, 1883, the cadet battalion makes its military debut in full dress under arms. The Washington Light Infantry, in continuation of its historic friendship with The Citadel, makes the entry of the cadets into the military circles the special feature of their celebration.
Gen. George D. Johnston serves as superintendent of The Citadel from 1885-1890. He dies in 1910.
A major earthquake strikes Charleston and destroys The Citadel’s exterior parapets.
At the 1885 New Orleans Exposition, Cadet James T. Coleman wins “Best Drilled Cadet in the United States.” The first contest to determine the Corps’ best drilled cadet in the manual of arms at The Citadel is held in 1886 and has become an annual event at commencement exercises.
Col. Asbury Coward graduates from The Citadel in 1854. He is named superintendent of The Citadel in 1890. He retires in 1908 and dies in 1925.
On the morning of March 14, 1892, a serious fire at The Citadel starts on the third floor and destroys the upper two stories. By nightfall, however, cadets are relocated to the old Roper Hospital buildings on Queen Street, which had been vacated after the 1886 Charleston earthquake.
Dr. B.H. Teague of Aiken, South Carolina, creates a new medal for the best-drilled cadet with a piece of oak from the Union vessel Star of the West. It is fashioned into the shape of a star and mounted on a gold medal. Cadet A.E. Legare is the first recipient.
The South Carolina Legislature passes an act allowing the Board of Visitors to grant bachelor of science degrees.
The first Citadel yearbook, "The Sphynx," is published.
Since the early 1900s, cadets from many foreign countries have added to the cultural diversity of the Corps of Cadets. Cuban students enroll in 1905, and in 1911, Cadet Wu Ying is the first student from China. Cadet Fong Lee Wong, a native of Peking, China, joins the Corps of Cadets in 1928. Pictured left is Cadet Wong’s yearbook photo.
Football begins at The Citadel.
The Citadel's first Blue Book is published.
Col. Oliver J. Bond graduates from The Citadel in 1886. He becomes an assistant professor and in 1908 is appointed superintendent. In 1921, his title is changed to president. He retires in 1931 and remains dean of the college. He writes "The Story of The Citadel," which covers the institution's history from 1822 to 1932. Col. Bond dies in 1933.
The South Carolina General Assembly approves the name change from the South Carolina Military Academy to The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. Superintendent Col. Oliver J. Bond, Class of 1886, leads the movement to change the name. The college is granted the authority to award degrees in civil engineering. Enrollment reaches full capacity with 242 cadets.
In 1910, a fourth floor is added to the original Citadel building at Marion Square.
The National Defense Act of 1916 establishes a Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and The Citadel is selected as one of the first institutions to form a unit of the ROTC. Academic offerings are expanded to include electives for juniors, including civil engineering, English, chemistry and physics.
The United States enters World War I. All members of the Classes of 1917 and 1918 enter military service upon graduation. In total, 316 Citadel graduates serve in World War I, 277 as commissioned officers. Nine graduates die and 17 are wounded.
Due to wartime mobilization requirements, The Citadel’s ROTC unit is suspended and the Corps is inducted into the Student Army Training Corps in late October. The commandant of cadets, Maj. Ralph Stogsdale, is appointed commander of the SATC units at The Citadel, College of Charleston and the Medical College. The Armistice of November 11, 1918, eliminates the need for the SATC, and ROTC returns in 1919. Gray uniforms are replaced with the olive drab uniform of the regular Army. The traditional Citadel full dress gray uniform is worn on special occasions. In 1927, the gray uniform is restored.
By 1918, The Citadel has outgrown its campus. King and Calhoun Streets are now the business center of Charleston, and Marion Square is becoming increasingly popular as a public greenspace. The city offers the state 176 acres along the Ashley River for a new campus. Over 5,000 people, including several hundred alumni, come to watch the cornerstone of the new campus being laid on Thanksgiving Day 1920. The Citadel opens the 1922 academic year at the new campus.
The Citadel relocates to a new campus along the Ashley River. Padgett-Thomas Barracks, Bond Hall, Coward Hall, a power house, and a laundry are completed by the time the cadets return in the fall.
On March 10, 1923, the Avenue of Remembrance is dedicated. The Citadel plants 183 Washington Robusta Palms donated by the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion, one for each citizen of Charleston County who made the supreme sacrifice in World War I. The original avenue ran from South Gate, now Lesesne Gate, along what is now Lee Avenue, Jones Avenue and Jenkins Avenue, ending at North Gate, now Summerall Gate.
The Citadel is accepted as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The student newspaper, "The Bulldog," is published. Later its name is changed to "The Brigadier." The first homecoming is observed.
Gen. Charles P. Summerall serves as The Citadel’s president from 1931 to 1953. His belt-tightening policies help the college survive the Great Depression. He institutes programs to improve faculty graduate qualifications, advance teaching effectiveness and modernize curricula.
The Summerall Guards, The Citadel's silent precision drill platoon, is established in 1932. The platoon is named for Gen. Charles P. Summerall, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and Citadel president from 1931 until 1953. Consisting of 61 members, the Summerall Guards are first-class cadets who go through a rigorous physical training and initiation process and are chosen for their physical stamina and drill proficiency.
The Citadel is helped by the Works Progress Administration to construct LeTellier Hall, Summerall Chapel, Law Barracks, McAllister Field House and faculty quarters.
The Association of Graduates changes its name to the Association of Citadel Men, which later becomes The Citadel Alumni Association after the college becomes coeducational in the 1990s.
On October 27, 1934, Parents' Day is established as an annual event.
On October 23, 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first U.S. president to visit The Citadel. He grants amnesty, excusing all punishments for the Corps.
The Citadel ring is standardized in 1940 by the Ring Committee with approval by the Classes of 1940, 1941, and 1942.
Ernest F. Hollings graduates from The Citadel as member of the Class of 1942. After graduation, he has a successful career as South Carolina’s governor and later as a U.S. senator.
The Citadel celebrates its 100th anniversary with parades, re-enactments and a flyover.
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