RISE BEYOND HONORING CADET LEADERS

In the fall of 2022, two alumni from the Class of 1969, Mr. Doug Huthwaite and Mr. John McLelland, came forward with a question: how do we recognize past battalion and corps commanders at R-MA?

Visitors to campus will know that there are numerous to memorials to R-MA giants here - halls and fields and statues named in honor of the great individuals who have made our Academy the remarkable place it is today. Yet somehow, we had no lasting memorials to the young men and women who served as leaders for their peers day-in and day-out, and who influenced the lives of so many: the Academy’s battalion and corps commanders.

They decided that it was time to recognize these men and women, somewhere that current students and cadets could see their names every day. McLelland generously volunteered his time and visited campus to pour through archived yearbooks and admissions materials (which at one time listed the names of all members of the corps) to assemble a list of all of the Academy’s battalion and corps commanders, from 1917-present.

With the list assembled, Huthwaite and McLelland worked with the Advancement team to determine how best to honor our cadet leaders. It was decided to create two plaques to be hung in Crow Hall - one for battalion commanders (1917-1974) and one for corps commanders (1975-present). A photo of the current commander will hang in between them.

At a special ceremony at Commencement 2023, McLelland met with General Wesley and the 2022-23 Corps Commander, C/LTC Henry Scott ‘23 to present the plaques to the Academy (pictured above). The inscription at the top of each plaque reads:

“To those at the top, who inspired others to Rise.”