Page 6
College Station, Te*ag
the battalion 74 YEARS OF PRECISION
The Ross Volunteers: A&M’s Elite
mmsi
Dr. Harrington With Ross Volunteers
. . . greet Eisenhower on Post-War visit
★ ★ ★
.
New Ross Volunteers Initiated Each Year
.. . administering oath of membership
★ ★ ★
The Ross Volunteers’ Annual Banquet
... an evening of color
By GERRY BROWN
If someone were to ask the ques
tion, “What is the oldest student
organization on the campus?”, the
answer would be the Ross Volun
teers. This military organization
was founded in 1887, which also
makes it one of the oldest student
organizations in the state.
The original company was called
the Scott Volunteers in honor of
Col. T. M. Scott, who was business
manager of the college at that
time. The Volunteers described
the purpose of their organization
as to band together the most mili
tary men in the school into a crack
drill company.
In 1891, when ex-Governor Law
rence Sullivan Ross became presi
dent of the college, the name of the
company was changed to Ross Vol
unteers in his honor. Following the
death of Ross in 1898, the name
was changed to Foster Guards,
again honoring the new president
of the college, L. L. Foster, who
had succeeded Ross. The company
marched under the name of the
Houston Rifles during President
Houston’s administration. The plan
of the organization was to change
its name in honor of each succeed
ing president of the college.
In 1902, H. H. Harrington, son-
in-law of Gov. Ross, became presi
dent of the college. When the
name of Harrington Rifles was pro
posed, Harrington requested that
the company again assume the
name of Ross Volunteers. It was
then decided to make the name of
Ross Volunteers permanent, which
it has remained.
At the time of organization the
membership was restricted to forty
cadets chosen from the junior and
senior classes. New members were
accepted into the company by an
election held early each scholastic
year. The basis of acceptance is
military ability and popularity.
After the World War I some non
military students were elected, but
in 1923 the company decided to
make non-military students and
those not making a “B” in Military
Science ineligible.
At present, to be eligible for
membership, one must be taking
the advanced Military Science or
Air Science course at the time of
his appointment, must have a 2.0
overall grade point ratio in* his
Military or Air Science course and
at no time have failed a Military
or Air Science course. An overall
scholastic grade point average of
1.25 was required for membership
at the initial reactivation after
World War II. Beginning in Sep
tember, 1948, however, a scholastic
grade point average of 1.5 was re
quired. The scholastic requirement
may be waived in special cases
however.
Also at this time, membership
became limited to 133 members at
a ratio of two juniors to one senior.
This ratio insures a constant flow
of candidates for special training
and development in the company
and for qualified potential leaders
of the highest caliber.
The first uniform for the com
pany was of white duck with gold
ornaments. The headgear was a
tin helmet which has long since
been discarded in favor of the
lighter white military caps. For
the most part the Ross Volunteer
uniform has been of white duck
with the high stiff collar of former
military fashion, throughout its
history with one exception.
In 1907 the group adopted a blue
and gray uniform. Gray breeches
and blue shirts were worn with
black boots and a large Stetson hat
to honor the late Teddy Roosevelt’s
famed Rough Riders. This uniform
was short-lived however, and was
discarded in favor of the original
white duck uniforms. Today the
Ross Volunteer officers wear long
red silk cumberbun sashes for of
ficial and formal occasions.
The Ross Volunteers represent
the college at distinctive functions
such as acting as escort and honor
guard at the inauguration of the
Governors of the State of Texas,
meeting and escorting distin
guished guests of the college, par
ticipating in parades and cere
monies in and out of the state and
performing as a drill team and
honor escort company on various
occasions throughout the state.
The company suffered a period
of inactivity during World War II
when the advanced Reserve Offi
cers Training Corps was disrupt
ed. In September, 1948, however,
the Volunteers were ractivated.
Following is the preamble to the
Constitution of the Ross Volunteer
Company which was adopted at the
time of the reactivation and which
has remained the same:
The Ross Volunteers Company
of the Agricultural and Mechani
cal College of Texas, as here un
der constituted, is a voluntary
military organization for the pur
pose of representing to the Staff,
Faculty, and Corps of Cadets of
the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas, and to the citi
zens of the State of Texas, an or
ganization of military distinction
and example, made up of a mem
bership of men selected from the
Cadet! Corps who will best accom
plish the purpose and ideals of
the organization.
“In its social functions, as spon
sored by the School of Military
Sciences of the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Texas, it is
intended that the Ross Volunteers
make tangible contributions to
the general social and cultural
life of the Corps of Cadets of the
college; that social distinction be
combined with social enjoyment;
and that the dress, general bear
ing, and conduct of the member
ship and their activities reflect
credit upon the college at all
times.”
Each fall there is an initiation
ceremony with an appropriate rit
ual and administering of the oath
of membership to new members.
Each spring the traditional ball
and banquet are held. At this oc
casion in 1956 the only honorary
membership which has ever been
bestowed was presented to Dr.
Francis Marion Law, a member of
the Class of 1895, a former mem
ber of the Board of Directors of the
college and a distinguished citizen
of the state.
Through the years emphasis on
membership and functions of the
company has varied. Originally,
membership was based solely on
outstanding military performance.
At one time emphasis was on so
cial qualifications, and dues and
elaborate uniform costs seriously
limited participation in the group.
For many years the Ross Volun
teer Banquet and Ball were the
outstanding social events of the
school year. They were held during
the spring recess and were accom
panied by a Queen’s Ball and Corp
dance. Invitations to these affairs
were coveted far and wide.
Since the Ross Volunteer Com
pany of today is intended to ex
emplify the spirit and inherent
principles and nature of the larg
est military college in the nation,
emphasis for membership is placed
on character traits, academic and
military standing, military bearing,
energy and interest in extra-cur
ricular activities and disciplinary
records and social graces. Appli
cants are carefully screened by
senior members of the organiza
tion and the commandant.
This year the company has four
sponsors. Two of these were ap
pointed from the Office of the
Commandant, one from the Depart
ment of Military Science and Tac
tics and one from the Department
of Air Science.
A history of the Ross Volunteers
could not be written without tell
ing of their most recent accom
plishments. So far this year they
have fulfilled two of their most
well known traditions in acting as
the honor guard for the inaugura
tion of the Governor of Texas and
marching as the official escort of
“King Rex” at the Mardi Gras.
Actually Governor Price Daniel
did not have an official inaugura
tion this year but he requested
that a group of RV’s be present at
the informal ceremony. As a re
sult a contingent of 30 volunteers
attended Governor Daniel’s rein-
stallment to office on Jan. 17.
More recently, 115 Ross Volun.
teers commanded by Cadet Lt. Col,
Glenn Jones and accompanied by sity
Col. Joe E. Davis, Commandant,
traveled to New Orleans for the
Mardi Gras parade and celebration,
While guests of the New Orleans
A&M Club, Col. Davis and Jones
were presented keys to the city of
New Orleans by a representative
of the mayor. In addition each
R.V. was made an honorary mem-
ber of the New Orleans A&M Club
by the president of the Club.
The continuous wave of applause
that greeted the volunteers during
the three hour Mardi Gras parade
and the favorable comments heard
all along the route of the parade
echoed of the esteem with which
the Ross Volunteers are held in the
New Orleans area.
The volunteers also go to the
Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi,
or the Holiday In Dixie celebration
in Shreveport, La. or both, each
year.
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The Ross Volunteers On Parade
. • . at San Antonio’s Rose Festival
11
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★ ★ ★
Ross Volunteers In Austin
, . . escort Gov. Price Daniel