New Mexico Military Institute

New Mexico Military Institute
NMMI ("Nimmy")
New Mexico Military Institute
Statue in Bronco Plaza
Address
101 West College Blvd.
Roswell, Chaves County, New Mexico 88201
 United States
Coordinates 33°24′36″N 104°31′29″W / 33.409896°N 104.524698°W / 33.409896; -104.524698Coordinates: 33°24′36″N 104°31′29″W / 33.409896°N 104.524698°W / 33.409896; -104.524698
Information
School type High School & Junior College (Military)
Motto Duty, Honor, Achievement
Religious affiliation(s) Non-Denominational
Founded 1891
Founder Joseph C. Lea, Robert S. Goss
NCES District ID 350225000984
Grades 9-14
Gender Co-educational
Age range 13-23
Number of students 914
Average class size 15
Campus City
300 acres (1.2 km2)
Color(s) Red and black
Nickname The Old Post
Team name Broncos (College), Colts (High School)
Accreditation AdvancED Commission
Tuition $13,000/year (out-of-state) $8,700/year (in-state)
President/Superintendent Major General(Ret. US Army) Jerry Grizzle
Academic Dean Brigadier General(Ret. USAF) Douglas Murray
Commandant of Cadets Lieutenant Colonel(Ret. US Army) Jonathan Graff
New Mexico Military Institute Historic District
Location Roughly bounded by Nineteenth and N. Main Sts., College Blvd. and Kentucky Ave., Roswell, New Mexico
Area 64 acres (26 ha)
Built 1907 (1907)
Architect I.H. Rapp, et al.
Architectural style Late Gothic Revival
MPS Roswell New Mexico MRA
NRHP reference # 87000907[1]
NMSRCP # 1008
Significant dates
Added to NRHP May 7, 1987
Designated NMSRCP June 8, 1984

New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a land-grant institution located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. One of four military junior colleges in the United States, it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a college preparatory four-year high school and a two-year junior college. Students who attend NMMI are referred to as Cadets. NMMI is the only state-supported co-educational college preparatory military boarding high school (grades 9–12) and junior college in the United States. Academic school years begin with about 900 and 980 cadets enrolled. The school's 2-year Army ROTC Early Commissioning Program (ECP) commissions approximately 30 cadets each year as US Army 2nd Lieutenants, and almost 100 cadets each year go to one of the five major United States Service academies.[2]

The school's motto is "Duty, Honor, and Achievement." The school's athletic teams are the Broncos (junior college) and the Colts (high school). The school's colors are scarlet and black. The Cadet Honor Code, which was voted into place by a unanimous vote of the Corps of Cadets in 1921, states "A Cadet Will Not Lie, Cheat, or Steal, Nor Tolerate Those Who Do" and is administered by an Honor Board of Cadets, advised by Cadre and Staff.

History

New Mexico Military Institute, 1904

New Mexico Military Institute was founded by Colonel Robert S. Goss and Captain Joseph C. Lea in 1891, originally as the Goss Military Institute, with an initial enrollment of 38 students. It was recognized by the territorial legislature and renamed NMMI in 1893. While the legislature had recognized the school, it failed to provide funding, and the school was forced to close its doors on "Bad Friday", March 29, 1895. In the winter of 1894-1895 a funding bill was prepared and approved by the legislature. James J. Hagerman donated a 40-acre tract of land which became the current location of the Institute. The school reopened in the fall of 1898.[3]

Hundreds of Institute graduates served in World War I and World War II, including Medal of Honor recipient John C. Morgan[4] and hotelier Conrad Hilton of Hilton Hotels fame. In 1948, the Institute introduced a four-year liberal arts college program, but discontinued it in 1956. The Institute became fully coeducational in 1977, although some females had attended as non-cadet day students from 1891 to 1898. The current superintendent, Major General (Retired) Jerry W. Grizzle, was appointed in 2010.

In 2013, the Institute broke off relations with the Alumni Association over disagreement about finances.[5][6] Members of the Alumni Association claimed that this was an effort by the school to gain access and control of the over $5.2 million in assets of the association.[7][8] On June 10, 2013, the Institute filed a lawsuit in Chaves County, New Mexico, to take control of the assets of the Alumni Association.[9] Editorial response to the Institute's actions has been generally negative, calling it a "hijacking" of the group and its resources.[10] On April 21, 2015, the Fifth Judicial District Court found that the Alumni Association had not breached its agreement with NMMI and that NMMI had "improperly terminated" the agreement.[11][12] The judge required the Association to turn over the funds.

Campus

Winter view of the north side of Hagerman Barracks with Pearson Auditorium in the background

The original area of land for the campus was donated to the school by local rancher James J. Hagerman, for whom the main barracks complex is named.[4] The Institute's buildings are made in a uniform Gothic Revival style out of buff brick. Its architecture and organization was inspired by the Virginia Military Institute. The campus is a designated area on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hagerman Barracks
Hagerman Barracks, looking south toward Sally Port

Cadet life

Cadets are organized into a Corps of Cadets, following the organization of a cavalry regiment with a Headquarters Troop that comprises the Marching Band. The regiment comprises three squadrons consisting of four to five troops each. Cadets are structured into classes, 6th Class (9th grade high school equivalent) through 1st Class (college sophomore). Cadets are all treated on the basis of earned merit. The military boarding school environment is maintained by the cadet leadership, with all academic classes, meals, and military and physical training occurring "on post" (on campus) in a controlled environment. Based on the rank structure of the Virginia Military Institute, cadets start out as New Cadets, also known as RATs (recruits at training). They then advance to become Yearlings, and finally Old Cadets. Cadets must do a semester as New Cadets before they turn to Yearlings. Cadets also earn Junior or Senior Army ROTC positions within the Corps. These factors determine a cadet's privileges and authority and define social interactions at the Institute.

Rules are enforced using a system of tours and demerits. A tour is simply one full hour of marching in uniform with a rifle. Cadets with excessive demerits may be put on disciplinary probation, in which many of their privileges are taken away. Similarly, cadets who fail to meet standards of academic performance are put on academic probation, in which their privileges are largely revoked. Punishment at the Institute is strict and quickly administered by the cadre and staff of the Institute when regulations are not followed. Leaving post is generally only authorized on weekends, holidays and during family visits.

Athletics

The football team, the Broncos, competes in the Southwestern Junior College Football Conference with six Texas schools and one Oklahoma school. Its other sports compete in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference. The high school football team is the Colts.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. ↑ "New Mexico Military Institute - Roswell, New Mexico/NM - Boarding School Profile". Boarding School Review. 2008-02-14. Retrieved 2011-12-10.
  3. ↑ Porter, COL Edward J. D. (1983). The Pictorial History of New Mexico Military Institute, 1891-1983. NMMI Alumni Association. pp. 5–9.
  4. 1 2 New Cadet Required Knowledge and Skills Qualification Book. 2013.
  5. ↑ Uyttebrouck, Olivier (March 8, 2013). "Regents tell NMMI alumni group to fix finances". Albuquerque Journal. p. C2. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "NMMI severs ties with alumni association". KFDA-TV. April 27, 2013. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  7. ↑ Romo, Rene (May 22, 2013). "NMMI breaks with alumni group". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Vallez, Kim (6 August 2013). "Military Institute wants alumni association". KRQE. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Retrieved 16 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "New Mexico Military Institute v. NMMI Alumni Association, Inc". June 10, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Bearing the weight of failure". Albuquerque Journal. June 4, 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  11. ↑ Brunt, Charles D. "NMMI regents cut off alumni group again". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  12. ↑ Tucker, Jeff (April 22, 2015). "Judge: $5M of alumni funds belong to NMMI". Roswell Daily Record. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  13. ↑ Former Broncos Playing at Four-Year Institutions
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