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RAGIN, WILLIAM DAVIS
Class of 1961. Captain, U.S. Army. Killed in action in Vietnam on August 20, 1964, while covering the retreat of a South Vietnamese military unit. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. His portrait hangs in the Daniel Library. (Source: "Portrait of Capt. Ragin," News and Courier, May 25, 1965, p. 1B) (HN & DH)
RAMPEY COLLECTION OF PORCELAIN
Donated by James L. Rampey III. Mr. Rampey was the head of the barber shop for more than thirty years, which was subsequently named for him. The Rampey Collection of Porcelain is located in the Daniel Library in two cases at the entrance. It was dedicated 30 April 1993. It is truly a magnificent collection consisting of the following:
    27 Gold-edged plates depicting birds and animals.
    60 Statues depicting birds.
    20 Statues depicting animals.
    11 Statues depicting flowers.
The larger statues often depict several birds or birds and flowers or an animal and a flower.(HN)
RANGER CLUB
The Citadel Ranger Club was named the Cordell Ranger Club around 3 December 1962. It is named after Capt. Terry Cordell, class of 1957, killed in South Vietnam. His portrait hangs in the Daniel Library. (Source: Time, vol. 80, Oct. 26, 1962, page 40. He is also on the cover.) (HN)
REAGAN, RONALD
Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004), 40th President of the United States. Delivered the commencement address to the Corps of Cadets on May 15, 2003. Click here for Reagan address.
RECTANGLE
The path around the LTV (amphibious tank) on the southeast corner of the parade ground is in the shape of a rectangle.
RED BOOK
The Fourth Class System Manual. It is a 16-page booklet compiled 26 July 1999 to assist freshmen in adjusting to The Citadel's fourth class system. Click Red Book.
REGIMENTAL COMMANDERS
    2000-01 Wilson, C.D.
    1999-00 Bath, Kenneth W.
    1998-99 Wilson, Steven Reed
    1997-98 Strand, Brett
    1996-97 Butler, Bryant
    1995-96 Pantsari, Matt
    1994-95 Jarrard, John Kevin
    1993-94 Doucet, Norman P.
    1992-93 Moore, Edward Raymond III
    1991-92 Varriale, Richard A.
    1990-91 Workman, Kent
    1989-90 Ludlum, A.C.
    1988-89 Hopkins, Joseph
    1987-88 Kissam, W. Keller
    1986-87 Macpherson, David
    1985-86 Kissam, Luther C.
    1984-85 Engeler, Ralph M.*
    1983-84 Goolsby, Thom
    1982-83 Haynie, J. William *
    1981-82 Singleton, Greg *
    1980-81 Jones, Bruce M.
    (Sources: *Frederick J. Whittle)
RHODES SCHOLARS
No Citadel graduates ever became Rhodes Scholars. Citadel President General John S. Grinalds, a graduate of the USMA, was a Rhodes Scholar.
RIBBONS--CITADEL
Click Ribbons to see illustrations of the military ribbons given to cadets. (Source: The Guidon, 1998-99, pp. 107-108.)
RICHARDSON, JOHN PETER
1801-1869. Governor of South Carolina, 1840-42. Was governor when The Citadel was founded. A Unionist, he had been chosen aas governor because he was acceptable to pro- and anti-Union groups in the state. He first suggested to the General Assembly that the Arsenal and Citadelbe converted into military schools. His portrait hangs in Daniel Library. The painting was donated by Dr. John H. Cathcart, Citadel Class of 1983. (Sources: John Peyre Thomas, The History of the South Carolina Military Academy, pp. 25-31, 151-158. U430 .S51 T55 1991; Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, vol. 4, p. 1404. REF E176 .B573 v. 4; communication from CPT John Coussons, USN (Ret), Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History, June 27, 2001)
RICHARDSON RIFLES
The Richardson Rifles existed from 1931-32 until 1943. It was a company of cadets made up of senior and junior class drill teams. The senior platoon was called teh Summerall Guards; the junior team was called the Bond Volunteers. When they marched together they were known as the Richardson Rifles. See Summerall Guards.See Bond Volunteers. (Source: Dennis D. Nicholson, A History of The Citadel: The Years of Summerall and Clark, pp. 29-31. U430 .C5 N53 1994) (HN & DH)
RIDDLES
Up until the end of the 1980s riddles were popular mess facts. Two of the most popular dealt with the boiler chimney, 1921-1974.
Q. How many bricks are in the chimney?
A. None; if there were bricks in it the smoke couldn't come out.
Q. How many bricks did it take to finish the chimney?
A. 1 (one).
Another dealt with 33 1/3 records which were popular at the time.
Q. How many grooves are on a 33 1/3 rpm record?
A. Two. One on each side.
Do you remember any others?
RIFLE POSTAL MATCH
A rifle postal match occurs when the contestants, instead of meeting each other, do their firing at their respective colleges. The scores are then sent to Washington where they are tabulated and the winners announced. (HN)
RIFLE TEAM
The Citadel rifle team competes in international three-position small bore and air rifle N.C.A.A. matches.... The team won both the North and South Carolina State Championships six years straight, 1992-1997. (Source: Guidon 1998-1999.) The Rifle Team--which for several years was a club sport--had the first female athlete competing for The Citadel: Rosa-Lee Maris Nasso. She shot in an air rifle match at Wolfe Creek in Atlanta in September 1997. In 2001 the Rifle Team was a coed team and became a varsity sport once more. In 2003 the team became coed and a women's sport. The team won its conference (the SEARC) in air rifle in 1999 as a club sport and in 2001 as a varsity sport. Janean Tavares was the first female captain of the Rifle Team in 1999. The Head Coach is William C. ("Bill") Smith (1997- ). (Source: communication from Head Coach William C. Smith, March 18, 2005) Current information about the Rifle Team is on The Citadel Athletic Department Web site.(HN & DH)
RIFLE TEAM--ALL-AMERICAN RIFLE CHAMPIONS
Bob Metsker...........1st team....1959-60
Dave Edgerly...........1st team....1963-64
Keels Dickson.........1st team....1963-64
Eric Sunstrom.........1st team....1964-65
Eric Sunstrom.........2nd team....1965-66
Ed Jones................2nd team....1965-66
Rob Fitzgerald........2nd team....1965-66
Doug Herr .............
RIGNEY, JAMES OLIVER, JR.
1948- . Class of 1974. Physics major. He is The Citadel's most prolific author of both books and screen plays. He is regularly on the best-seller lists. He is known more under his pseudonyms, Robert Jordan, Reagan O'Neal, Jackson O'Reilly, and Chang Lung, than under his real name. Fantasy and science fiction are written under the name of Robert Jordan. He ranks with the best writers of all time in this genre.
    Some of his books include the following: Conan the Defender, Conan the Destroyer, Conan the Invincible, Conan the Unconquered, Conan the Victorious, A Crown of Swords, The Dragon Reborn, The Eye of the World, The Fires of Heaven, The Great Hunt, Lord of Chaos, The Path of Daggers, The Shadow Rising, The World of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time.
    Under Reagan O'Neal he has written historic romances including the following:The Fallon Blood, and The Fallon Pride. Under Jackson O'Reilly he has written a western, notably Cheyenne Raiders. He is also a board member of the Friends of the Daniel Library.
(Source: Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, vol. 111, pp. 343-345. REFERENCE Z1224 .C58 v. 111) (HN)
RILEY, JOSEPH P., JR.
1943- . Citadel Class of 1964. Mayor of Charleston since 1975. He has been mayor of Charleston longer than anyone else in its long history.He holds a law degree from the University of South Carolina (1967). Served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, 1968-74. President of the U. S. Conference of Mayors, 1986-87. President of the National Association of Democratic Mayors, 1988-92. Recipient of the Outstanding Mayors Award of the National Urban Coalition. In 2000 was the first recipient of the Urban Land Institute J. C. Nichols Prize for Visionary Urban Development. He is a founder of the Mayors' Institute for City Design. Joseph P. Riley Baseball Park, near The Citadel campus, is named for him. (Source: "Joseph P.Riley, Jr., Mayor of Charleston," Web site of the Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Institute for Urban Affairs and Policy Studies, College of Charleston http://www.cofc.edu/~pubaff/RileyBio.htm accessed on Feb. 25, 2005) (DH)
RING
The ring symbolizes the history and traditions of both the Corps of Cadets and the state of South Carolina.
    The sword, found on the left shank of the ring, represents the military officer. Crossing the sword is the rifle which represents the infantry. The laurel leaves and the wreath represent peace.
    The star on the right shank of the ring stands for the "Star of the West," a ship sent to supply Fort Sumter. On 9 January 1861 a detachment of Citadel cadets succeeded in firing upon it, and turning it back before it had a chance to reinforce the fort. This action took place three full months before the fort was actually attacked, beginning the Civil War. Also on the right shank of the ring are found the United States and South Carolina flags. This depicts the unity of state and federal governments. The cannon balls at the bottom of the shank indicate the continuing link between the old Citadel at Marion Square, and the present Citadel, next to Hampton Park. When the college moved here in 1919 the cannon balls were left behind.
    The oval crest (at the top of the ring) has a reproduction of the palmetto tree, the state tree of South Carolina, in the background. The palmetto represents the palmetto log fort, Fort Sullivan, which successfully turned back the British war ships during the Revolutionary War. Later, it was renamed Fort Moultrie. The two oval shields at the base of the tree are replicas of the front and back of the Soouth Carolina state seal..
    There are three leaves on the ring. The oak leaf near the muzzle of the rifle stands for strength, The laurel leaves under the tip of the sword blade stand for victory. (In Greek and Roman time they were used to make the wreaths of heroes.) The wreath encircling the rifle and the sword is made of olive leaves. They stand for peace.
    A tradition has been to wear the ring with the numerals facing the wearer. Upon graduation the ring is turned so the numerals face away from the wearer. According to a tradition reported by a 1993 graduate, there is a tradition among some cadets and alumni that the ridges on the underside of the ring signify all those difficult individuals whom a cadet encounters, but who fade in one's memory just as the ridges are worn smooth with the years.
The members of the Class of 1944 received their rings as juniors at a special ring hop in May 1943, only five mohths after the Class of 1943 had received theirs, at a ring hop in December 1942. This was the only time that the members of a class received their rings as juniors. This was due to the extraordinary wartime situation. The juniors underwent Army basic training in the summer of 1943 at various forts and posts, then returned to The Citadel in October to complete their coursework. They received commissions and diplomas in 1944. (Source: Dennis D. Nicholson, A History of The Citadel: The Years of Summerall and Clark, pp. 199-201. U430 .C5 N53 1994)
The Ring has been manufactured by Jostens, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minn., since 2002 (class of 2003 Ring).
    The Citadel Ring is one of the heaviest all-gold college rings in the United States. Rings are manufactured in one piece construction, contour in shape, of 10 karat yellow gold, hardened to a minimum of Rockwell B93 and a maximum of RockB97. The male cadet and non-cadet class ring of size 10 weighs 18 pennywweight (pennyweight = .05 oz. = 2 grams). The female cadet and non-cadet class ring of size 7 weighs 14 pennyweight and is an exact replica of its male counterpart.
The inside of the male Ring has three lines of engraving: 21 spaces on the first and second lines and 12 spaces on the third line. The inside of the female Ring has three lines of engraving: 21 spaces on the first line, 16 on the second, and 10 spaces on the third line. The engraving is of the purchaser's choosing. Classes from the 1940s through the 1980s had engraved on the inside of the Ring their name, home town, degree and major.
There are several colleges' rings which have heavier weights: Virginia Tech = 26 pennyweight; Ring manufacturers over the years have included: Patmar, Balfour, Elliott, Art Carved and Jostens.
    There is no truth to the rumor that the alumni pay for part of the ring. It is paid entirely by the cadet. (Sources: communication from The Citadel Office of Alumni Affairs, August 31, 2006; contract with Jostens, Inc.; Brigadier, March 17, 1962, p. 8; Guidon, 2002-03, pp. 84-86) Click Ring to find illustrations plus three pages of text. (Source: The Guidon, 1998-99, pp. 110-112.) On the South Carolina state seal design, see SEAL--SOUTH CAROLINA (HN & DH)
RING CEREMONY
The Seniors get their ring at this time. It takes place in Summerall Chapel. It used to take place on the Thursday before Parents Day. Since 1998, it was changed to take place on Friday, the afternoon before Parent's Day. (HN)
RING HOP
It takes place the Friday before Parents Day on the second floor of Mark Clark Hall. Male seniors walk through the giant ring with their mothers. Apparently female seniors walk through the giant ring with their fathers. (HN)
RISHER, WILLIAM R.
Class of 1947. Headmaster, Carlisle Military School, 1958-198? Member of the Board of Visitors, 1977-1992. Chairman of the Board of Visitors, 1987-1992. Received an honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from The Citadel, March 1992. (HN)
ROACH
A person who tried out for the old Junior Sword Drill was called a roach. The Junior Sword Drill last marched October 1992. (HN)
ROBERSON, JOHN LINTON, III ("ROBO")
1943-1986. Class of 1966. Lieutenant Roberson commanded a company in the Delta during the Vietnam War, in Colonel David Hackworth's Battalion, 9th Division, U.S. Army. In the midst of a firefight on March 11, 1969, his company took casualties, but he refused evacuation, and stayed with his company throughout the operation, earning Col. Hackworth's praise.He was awarded the Bronze Star with V Device, the Purple Heart. He died in 1986. (Sources: communication from William W. Northrop, Class of 1966, May 4, 2003; David H. Hackworth and Julie Sherman, About Face, pp. 672-674. U53 .H25 A3 1990; Alumni Files, Citadel Records Management Department) (DH)
ROBINSON, LES
Director of Athletics at The Citadel, 2000-, replacing Walter Nadzak who retired. From 1974-1985 he served as head basketball coach at The Citadel. His 132 victories made him the winingest basketball coach in Citadel history. In 1979 he was named Southern Conference Basketball Coach of the year. In 1979 and 1985 he was named South Carolina Basketball Coach of the Year. (Source: The Citadel Baseball 2001, p. 41.)
ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D.
Visited Citadel on 23 October 1935. (Source: Charleston News & Courier: 23 Oct. 1935, p. 1, 24 Oct. 1935, p. 1.)
RUFF, BRIAN
Citadel all-American football player. His number 51 was retired.

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