New Mexico Military Institute
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New Mexico Military Institute ('NMMI) is a state-supported educational institution located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. NMMI includes a four year high school and a two year junior college. Founded in 1891 by Joseph C. Lea who selected former Confederate Col. Robert S. Goss as the Superintendent for the Goss Military Institute, and inspired by Virginia Military Institute, it is now one of five Military Junior Colleges in the United States.
NMMI first admitted women as cadets in 1977, although some women did attend as day students in the early years of the school. It is the only state-supported co-educational college preparatory military boarding high school (grades 9-12)and junior college in the United States.[1]
It typically has about 980 cadets, 95 percent of whom go on to four-year schools; about 100 cadets each year go to one of the five major United States Service academies.[1]
The school's motto is "Duty, Honor, and Achievement" The school's teams are the Broncos (Jr. College) and the Colts (High School). The school's colors are red and black. One of NMMI's nicknames is "The West Point of the West."
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[edit] NMMI Today
New Mexico Military Institute provides a unique "Leadership Laboratory", where 6th Class (9th Grade High School Equivalent) through 1st Class (College Sophomore) Cadets all interact as members of the Corps. The military school structure is even more unique in the modern era, in that all cadets live in the Troop Barracks, with all classes, meals, and physical training occurring "On Post" in a controlled and safe environment. New Cadets are first taught how to follow by their Old Cadet Cadre, and are mentored in the "servant leadership" style of responsible and honorable actions. Instead of "power and privilege" being the goal of cadet leaders, the overall status of the Corps is paramount.
The NMMI Leadership Model is built around a balance of Academics, Leadership, and Physical Development in relation to every cadet enrolled. With the passing of years the Institute has seen many changes, but the maxim "Duty, Honor and Achievement" still holds true. School publications proclaim that NMMI is "preparing tomorrow's leaders today" and the fact that the school continues to produce leaders fit for military command as well as future captains of industry is testament to the school's success. Drug abuse and alcohol consumption is a problem at the institute, and many cadets have been disenrolled because of such behavior.
Notable alumni are listed in the section below, and many less well-known alumni continue to "give back" to the Institute in the form of active involvement with the Staff and Corps of Cadets. Each October sees the return of "Homecoming" where alumni from each decade of the corresponding year make the pilgrimage to Roswell, New Mexico and take part in traditions as old as the school itself. Annual Trail Rides and Alumni Musters have also become part of the alumni experience, and NMMI Alumni Association Chapters help to foster life-long friendships through meetings in various locations. Sometimes alumni chapters will sponsor a "Tattoo" or a "Stand To" - both based on nostalgic military functions designed to increase awareness of alumni initiatives.
The school's Honor Code is "A Cadet Will Not Lie, Cheat, or Steal, Nor Tolerate Those Who Do."
[edit] Athletics
The first football training camp of the newly organized Dallas Texans (which would become the Kansas City Chiefs) was held at the school in 1960. They moved to Southern Methodist University in 1961.
The football team competes in the Western States Football League. Its other sports compete in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference.[2]
[edit] Administration
The current Superintendent is Major General Grizzle USA (Ret).
The current Commandant of Cadets is Brigadier General Richard B. Geraci USA (Ret).
The current Regimental Commander is c/COL Luis Martinez.
The current Regimental Executive Officer is c/LTC Anton Bruelhart.
The current Squadron Commanders are: 1st - c/LTC Spenser Ewing, 2nd - c/LTC Matthew Dobbs, 3rd - c/LTC Sarah Sanford.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Norman Brinker, founder of Brinker International
- William John Cox (Billy Jack Cox), public interest attorney, author and political activist.
- Charles A. Coulombe
- Bill Daniels, cable television pioneer.
- Sam Donaldson of ABC News
- Malcolm Duncan, former owner of Duncan Buick Cadillac in Waco, Texas; educational philanthropist through MAC Scholarships.
- Ira B. Harkey Jr., awarded the 1963 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
- Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotel chain
- Conrad Hilton Jr., American socialite
- Paul Horgan, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author who also served as the school's librarian for a time.
- Peter Hurd, artist and friend of Horgan's who painted the presidential portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson
- Victor Lownes, former Playboy Enterprises executive
- Craig McNeil, an Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse prosecutor and contributor to the Village Voice.
- Hal Mumme, collegiate football coach
- Anthony Principi, the 4th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
- Chuck Roberts, news anchor for CNN Headline News
- Roger Staubach, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys
- G. Harry Stine, sci-fi writer; a father of Model Rocketry
- Casey Urlacher, Arena League football player, brother of Brian Urlacher
- Major General Edwin Walker
- Frank D. White, governor of Arkansas
- Owen Wilson, movie actor (Bottle Rocket, Shanghai Knights, Wedding Crashers)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 33°24′36″N 104°31′29″W / 33.409896°N 104.524698°W
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