(NU) is a private
College located in
Northfield ,
Vermont . It is home to both a Corps of Cadets (NUCC) and a smaller traditional student population. The University was originally founded in
1819 at
Norwich, VT as the '''American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy'''. It is the oldest private
Military College in the
United States and recognized by the
Department Of Defense as the "Birthplace of
ROTC ."
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The University was founded in was a dire necessity and developed the American system around that idea. His academy became the template for a number of military colleges throughout the nation, including the
Virginia Military Institute and
The Citadel ,
In
1825 the academy moved to
Middletown ,
Connecticut to provide better naval training to the school's growing corps of cadets. However, in
1829 , the state of Connecticut declined to grant Captain Partridge a charter and he moved the school back to Norwich. It wasn't until
1834 that Vermont granted a charter and recognized the institution as "Norwich University." During the
1856 academic year, the first chapter of the
Theta Chi Fraternity was founded. After a catastrophic fire in
1866 which devastated the entire campus, the town of Northfield welcomed the struggling school. The
Civil War , the fire, and the uncertainty regarding the continuation of the University seriously lowered the attendance, and the school opened in the Fall of 1866 with only nineteen students. The 1870s and '80s saw many financially turbulent times for the institution and the renaming of the school to in
1880 . In 1881 the student body was reduced to only a dozen men. Later, by
1884 , the Vermont Legislature had the name of the school changed back to Norwich. In
1898 the University was designated as the Military College of the State of Vermont.
As part of the
Vermont National Guard , the school's Corps of Cadets was mobilized as a squadron of cavalry in the First Vermont Regiment to assist in General
John J. Pershing's Mexican Expedition . This greatly disrupted the academic year and in
1916 the
War Department designated Norwich as the first site for a Senior
ROTC Cavalry unit; also in 1916, the first African-American,
Harold 'Doc' Martin (NU '20), matriculated. Classes graduated early for both the
First and
Second World Wars and many Norwich-made officers saw service in all theaters of both conflicts. Professional education offered at Norwich also changed and adapted with the advance of technology. Military flight training began in
1939 and from
1946 to
1947 , horse
Cavalry was completely phased out in favor of
Armored cavalry.
Graduates returning from European and Pacific fields of battle found a university very different from the one they had left behind. From the late 1940s to the 1960s, Norwich was greatly expanded and added a number of new oppertunities. In 1947, the and
Navy ROTC programs were established in
1972 and
1984 respectively. The 1972 merger and
1993 integration with
Vermont College added two groups to "the Hill," civilian students and women. By
1974 women were permitted to join the Corps of Cadets (the same year that women were admitted to the
Merchant Marine Academy , and a full two years before the other federal service academies).
The ending of one century and birth of a new finds Norwich with a robust Corps of Cadets and a thriving traditional student body. Norwich maintains its position as a center of learning for civil service with online graduate programs, the 5 year Master of Architecture program and an
NSA sponsored Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance.
As the University moves closer to the bicentennial, the NU2019 was launched in
2005 . Under the guidance of the Alumni Association, the Board of Trustees and the Office of the President, the University has budgeted millions of dollars to radically change and improve the campus. Proposed additions are to include:
- Traditional Student housing quad separate from the Corps housing on the Upper Parade Ground
- Harmon Hall dining facility rebuilt into a Campus Service Center
- A refurbishment of Webb and Ainsworth Halls and a new Humanities & Social Science quad
- Improved transportation network and general campus beautification
- Increasing enrollment by five-hundred undergraduate students
The University has 1,950
Undergraduate Students , 112 full-time faculty (approx. 80% hold a doctorate), and a fluctuating number of adjunct professors. The student/faculty ratio is 14:1 and the male/female ratio is 2:1. The freshman retention rate is 80%. The student body is comprised of students from over 40 different states and 20 countries.
Norwich University has two very different on-campus resident programs: the Corps of Cadets and the Traditional student body.
The Corps side is structured as a
Regiment headed by a Cadet Colonel (C/Col) with four
Battalions each led by a Cadet Lieutenant Colonel (C/LtCol). Normally, each battalion consists of three
Companies commanded by a Cadet Captain (C/Cpt) which are made of two platoons (1st platoon is made of company upperclassmen and 2nd of freshmen, or "Rooks").
The Resident Life Department oversees the "civilian" side. Floors in the Residence Halls are under the supervision of a
Resident Advisor (RA) . The Residence Halls are in turn supervisied by Assistant Resident Coordinators (ARC) who report to the Resident Coordinator (RC) and the Director (DoRL) and Assistant Director (ADoRL) of Resident Life. Norwich is unique in that students hold positions that at many other colleges and universities are reserved for professional staff.
- Hawkins Hall — Named for General Hawkins, a colonel in the Civil War and later New York State Congressman. Built in 1940 and renovated in 1994
- Dodge Hall — Named for Grenville M. Dodge , a 1851 graduate, only all-traditional residence hall on the Upper Parade Ground. Originally named Cabot Hall, it was built in 1937 and renovated in 1998
- Patterson Hall — Named for a 1909 graduate in Civil Engineering and a trustee. Built in 1958
- Goodyear Hall — Named for Major General Conger A. Goodyear , a trustee and founder of the Museum Of Modern Art . Built in 1955 and renovated in 1999
- Wilson Hall — Named for a Judge and Governor Of Vermont , Stanley Calef Wilson .
- Alumni Hall — First housing-only hall at the Northfield campus, named for the significant alumnus contributions that allowed for its construction. Built in 1905 and renovated in 2005
- Ransom Hall — Named after Colonel Truman B. Ransom , the second president of the University who was killed leading the assault on Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War . Built in 1957
- Gerard Hall — Named after industrialist and philanthropist Jacques A. Gerard who became a trustee in 1959 . Built in 1962
- Crawford Hall — Named after David C. Crawford , a 1952 graduate, for whom the School of Engineering is also named, it is the only residence hall not on the Upper Parade Ground and is reserved for traditional students. Built in 1988
