History of The Citadel

The Origin of the Name

In 1822, the South Carolina Legislature passed "An Act to Establish a Competent Force to act as a Municipal Guard for the Protection of the City of Charleston and Vicinity." Land on the north end of Marion Square was selected for an arsenal and guard house, and in 1829, the architect, Frederick Wesner, completed the building which was known as The Citadel. A similar facility was constructed in Columbia, South Carolina, which was known as The Arsenal. State troops occupied both sites at a cost of $24,000 a year.

Governor John P. Richardson felt that guard duties should be combined with a system of education. On December 20, 1842, the South Carolina Legislature passed an act establishing the South Carolina Military Academy. The Citadel and The Arsenal were converted into educational institutions, and students replaced the state troops. In 1845, the role of The Arsenal was changed to the instruction of freshmen. As a result, cadets spent their first year in Columbia and transferred to The Citadel for the remaining three years. The South Carolina Military Academy became known for its high academic standards and strict military discipline.

Enrollment in The South Carolina Military Academy increased from thirty-four students in 1843 to 296 in 1864. The $200 tuition in 1843 increased to $1,200 in 1864. When South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860, Major Robert Anderson moved his garrison of U.S. troops to Fort Sumter and requested reinforcements from the federal government. On January 9, 1861, Citadel cadets stationed on Morris Island fired on the U.S. steamer, the Star of the West, as it attempted to supply Fort Sumter with troops and supplies. This was the first overt act of war.

On January 28, 1861, the Corps of Cadets was made part of the military organization of the state and was known as The Battalion of State Cadets. The Arsenal and The Citadel continued to operate as military academies; however, classes were often disrupted when the governor called the cadets into military service. Manning heavy guns, mounting guard duty, and escorting prisoners were among the services performed by the cadets. On February 18, 1865, The Citadel ceased operation as a college when Union troops entered Charleston and occupied the site. The Arsenal was burned by Sherman’s troops and never reopened.

In January 1882, The Citadel buildings were returned to the State of South Carolina after seventeen years in the possession of the United States government. In the same month, the legislature of South Carolina passed an act to reopen the college. The 1882 session began with an enrollment of 185 cadets.

The name of the college was officially changed in 1910 to The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. The word Academy had become synonymous with secondary schools, and the public had the misconception that the South Carolina Military Academy was a preparatory school.

New Campus

The Citadel had outgrown its campus on Marion Square, despite numerous building additions, and could accommodate only 325 students. In 1918, the City of Charleston gave the State of South Carolina 176 acres on the banks of the Ashley River for a new campus. In 1922, the college moved to its current location.

Today, the picturesque campus contains twenty-four major buildings. In addition to a Corps of approximately 1900 cadets—coeducational since 1996—the College of Graduate and Professional Studies offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs during the evening and summer. The U.S. News & World Report has ranked The Citadel among the best colleges in the region in its surveys of "America’s Best Colleges."

Military

As early as 1846, Citadel cadets served as drill instructors for the recruits of South Carolina’s Palmetto Regiment prior to the regiment’s departure for the Mexican War.

During the Civil War, the Corps of Cadets participated in eight engagements. The flag of the Corps of Cadets includes eight battle streamers representing those engagements and one streamer representing the Confederate States Army.

In the war with Spain in 1898, more Citadel alumni volunteered for service than were needed. In World War I, Citadel graduates were among the first contingents of American troops to fight with the English and French divisions. In major conflicts since World War II, Citadel cadets have continued to perform military service for their country. Twenty-three cadets served on active duty as members of the National Guard and Reservists during Operation Desert Storm.

In 1864, there were 145 cadets in the Corps. When the move to the new campus was made, there were almost 300 cadets. In 1947-48, 2,271 students were enrolled, including cadets and veterans. Nearly 3,500 veterans of World War II and the Korean conflict, most of who were civilian students, attended the College under the G.I. Bill. The Citadel program for veterans ended in 1960, but was resumed in 1967. The veterans' civilian day program was terminated in 1992.  The Corps of Cadets maintains a strength of approximately 2,000 cadets. Through The Citadel's Evening College, undergraduate programs have been offered for citizens of the Lowcountry since 1966, and the graduate programs have been available since 1968. In the 1993-94 academic year, that college was formally designated as the College of Graduate and Professional Studies (CGPS). This college offers three undergraduate degrees through cooperative "2 + 2" programs with Trident Technical College. In addition, six masters degree programs are offered, three jointly with the University of Charleston, and two specialist degree programs are offered. The Citadel also offers a Summer Program through the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.

The Archives contains manuscript material, photographs, and films pertaining to The Citadel. In 1966, General Mark W. Clark donated his personal military and official papers covering his career in World War II, the Austrian Occupation, the Korean War, and presidency of The Citadel. Other notable collections include the papers of Pulitzer Prize winning historian, Bruce Catton; the Civil War letters of General Ellison Capers, Citadel Class of 1857; and the papers of Vice Admiral Friedrich Ruge, who was Rommel's naval advisor. Authors and scholars from the United States and Europe frequently visit the Archives to research the collections.

The Museum contains exhibits, which trace the history of The Citadel from 1842 to the present and feature the military, academic, social, and athletic aspects of cadet life. The Citadel rings from 1895 to the present are exhibited. Citadel graduates who lost their lives in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon, Grenada, and Iraq are memorialized in photograph albums, which are on display in the Museum.