A Proud History-A Bright Future
The California Polytechnic State U ROTC Battalion has been proud to help
develop the leaders of tomorrow.
The History of ROTC at California Polytechnic State University
Army ROTC was established on this campus in
1952 as a general Military Science Unit. Since the first group of Cal
Poly graduates were commissioned on 18 June 1955, there have been 1256
graduates commissioned through the ROTC program.
Participation in ROTC by students on this campus has always been voluntary.
During the 1960's, when ROTC enrollment was as high as 555 cadets, Cal Poly had
the largest voluntary corps west of the Mississippi River. With the end of the
draft, total enrollment declined to just over 100 by 1980. Since that period,
enrollment has risen to the current level of 60.
Women were allowed to enroll in the ROTC program beginning in the Fall of
1973. That year eight women were enrolled. Today, 31% of our cadets
are women.
In 1989, the program won the General Douglas MacArthur Award for having the
best medium-sized program in the Nation.
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