This article was prepared, researched and written by Taylor Entrekin, Archives Student Historian on February 25th, 2025
In the post-World War II era, ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) programs underwent significant changes. Senior military colleges and institutions with ties to the Department of the Army could receive large amounts of surplus equipment for ROTC training. This meant that when the college ROTC structure shifted from the previous division of Junior and Senior ROTC programs, senior military colleges could request specific equipment for branch-specific training.
Under President Dodge, the Department of the Army stripped Norwich University of its coveted horses and dispersed them across the United States. The government took these horses, much to the dismay of the Corps of Cadets and Alumni, who saw the cavalry as a tradition of the University. Public Law 823 passed in the senate in 1948 was named: U.S. Army Horses and Equipment -transfer to certain Universities. This law also affected the University of Cornell and Virginia Military Institute who lost their horses. The horses would go to the Army, but some also were transferred to the New Mexico Military Institute, which still operates today as a junior military college.
The loss of the horses created a significant gap in Norwich's specialized training as the cavalry had become a staple of the university's ROTC experience. This change marked the beginning of what became known as the branch material ROTC program.
The Army first allocated signal equipment to establish a Signal company. The campus would receive radios and motorized vehicles specialized in signal capabilities, providing Norwich's ROTC with the necessary resources to train cadets for service in the United States Army Signal Corps. As cavalry equipment left the campus in 1948, tanks and other armor equipment arrived, leading to a complete overhaul of the ROTC program which emphasized Signal and Armor training. Under President Harmon, the campus also received an engineering company that supplied additional personnel to the Army Engineer Corps. At the same time, the volume of armor equipment increased, improving training capabilities and providing vehicles suited to Vermont's harsh winters. Some vehicles would be several versions of the M2, M4 tanks, and the M8 Greyhound support vehicle.
From 1947 to 1967, the branch material program dominated Norwich's ROTC curriculum. However, this era ended when President Hamlett assumed office when President Harmon decided to fully retire. The Department of the Army ultimately concluded that the resources devoted to maintaining the branch material program were insufficient in producing capable officers across each specialized branch and that the money and equipment spent on retaining the branch material program was not justifiable. As a result, Norwich transitioned to the branch general program, aligning itself with the ROTC detachments around the country. All the specialized equipment Norwich had access to was either transferred to the Vermont National Guard or retired, thus marking the end of an era for Norwich University and ushering in a more standardized ROTC model. This standardized system is the framework that all cadets since 1967 have known.
1948 Cavalry Parade in Northfield, Vermont
1950s M8 Support Vehicle
1950s Tank Company at Norwich University
1950s Mill Ball Tank Parade
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