A Proud History-A Bright Future

History of the Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Temple University

The ROTC Program at Temple University was activated as a Medical Corps unit at the medical school in August of 1947.  Enrollment in the Medical Corps unit started with 26 students in the fall of 1947 and grew until an enrollment of 81 was reached in September of 1950.  Between June of 1949 and June of 1952, a total of 83 students received commissions as medical officers in the Army, Air Force or Naval Reserve; 52 received service sponsored internships which permitted them to complete their internships as commissioned officers, on full pay status.  In October 1953, with the “phase out” of the Medical and Dental ROTC Programs, the medical unit was withdrawn.

In July of 1948 the Transportation Corps unit was established at the undergraduate school.  The Transportation Corps’ original enrollment was 209 in September of 1948.  The unit grew until September 1951 when 489 students were enrolled in Temple University ROTC.  From its inception of 1948 until February 1954, the Transportation Corps unit had produced 15 Regular Army, 1 Air Force Reserve and 202 Army Reserve officers.

In September 1954, the Transportation Corps unit was redesignated as a General Military Science unit, opening the full field of commissions in other than the professional graduate field to its graduates.  A General Military Science elective unit, Temple University ROTC offered a combination of two or four year programs.

Throughout the 1960’s, the Temple ROTC program gained a reputation as being one of the finest in First ROTC Region.  At Advance Camp ’86, Temple cadets performed so well that they ranked number two in Pennsylvania and number eleven in First Region in advance camp competition against 113 ROTC detachments. Our winning traditions continue today as most recently demonstrated by our victorious Ranger Challenge team in the Fall of 2005.

From 1949 to 2005, 1055 officers have been commissioned from Temple’s ROTC program.