One of the earliest Citadel Honor Committees (The Sphinx, 1961)

In 1919 the Guidon, specifies that Upperclassmen were subject to the Honor System. The freshmen (or 4th class cadets) at the Citadel, who were known as 'Recruits' at that time, were not held to the criteria of the Honor System. It was decided later in 1919, that the honor system would apply to all classes of cadets. Two principles were set for the Honor System of the Corps of Cadets:

1. The honor spirit of the Corps of Cadets of the Citadel demands of every cadet that he shall be an honorable gentlemen, and that he will never, while a member of the Corps, be guilty of an act reflecting discredit upon his honor and integrity, or in any way countenance such an act by a fellow cadet, or allow it to go unpunished.
2. The honor spirit of the Corps further holds that it is the duty of an honorable gentleman to avoid, as far as possible, even the appearance of evil, and demands that every member of the Corps shall exercise the greatest care never to place himself in a position in which he might be suspected of dishonorable conduct.

In the 1920's The Honor System was dissipate. The Chairman of the Honor Committee in 1925, Cadet Donald Michie recommended that the system be dropped and plans began to do so. In the year 1928 during a meeting second semester between the Corps of Cadets, it was decided that there were too many abuses under the current system. Because the Honor System failed to serve The Citadel the way it was intended, there was a vote taken by the Corps of Cadets to dissolve the Honor System. It was also decided during this vote that when and if an Honor System should ever be re-initiated, it would be up to the Board of Visitors to take such action.

This is not to speculate that Honor left the Citadel. In fact the opposite is true as records, show that cadets were ever mindful of their actions. Proof of this can be seen in a 1928 Article in the Palmetto, "The vote to abolish the Honor System has impressed on the Corps a desire to avoid even the appearance of a violation of honor ... Without Honor, the Citadel would be unable to exist. Honor at this institution has always been one of its most cherished possessions and always will."

After a visitation on Valentines Day weekend by two West Point Cadets in 1955 the value of an Honor System was given in a presentation by the visiting Cadets. After a brief vote taken after the presentation very strong support could be seen among the Corps of Cadets for reinstating an Honor System.

In September 1955 an Honor System was official reinstated in the Corps of Cadets by order of General Mark Clark. (TODO: insert link to scanned-in copy of General Clark's order)

Taken from the research of
Cadet Dwayne Anthony Steppe, November Company, Class of 2007
and the records of
Frank Myers, former Adjutant to The Citadel

History of the Code (2004-2005)

One of the earliest Citadel Honor Committees (The Sphinx, 1961)

The Citadel Honor Code and System evolved from an unwritten traditional "code of the gentleman."

The Citadel Honor System was first instituted in 1913, but abuses of the system resulted in its abolishment in 1927 or 1928.

General Mark Clark, Citadel President from 1954-1965, felt that the code should be formalized and proposed that it be written officially.

The Honor System began anew in September 1955, when the Corps of Cadets unanimously voted to establish the Honor Code.