Being a land-grant university, the University of Wyoming is no stranger to military service. Currently home to the Army ROTC Cowboy Battalion and the Air Force ROTC 940th Cadet Wing, military service at UW stretches back to the university’s early days including a School of Military Science and Tactics established in 1891 and the establishment of ROTC on campus in 1916.
As early as the Spanish-American War, students from UW served their country in war. With the onset of both World War I and World War II, military training that occurred on campus changed to deal with the necessities of war time. The campus reflected this change as more of those that walked campus made their way overseas.
UW, proud of the men and women that represented the brown and gold, recognized those that had served their country through pamphlets released on campus.
Dedication to UW’s World War I military personnel by UW President Aven Nelson, University of Wyoming Department of Military Science Records, Accession #543001, Box 3, Folder 4, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The pamphlets created for both World Wars included brief histories of the conflicts.
Pages from a UW pamphlet regarding American entry into World War II and subsequent UW reaction, University of Wyoming War Activities Council Records, Accession #300002, Box 27, Folder 10.1, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
Pages from a UW pamphlet regarding American entry into World War II and subsequent UW reaction, University of Wyoming War Activities Council Records, Accession #300002, Box 27, Folder 10.2, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
The pamphlets also included a listing of every student, professors, and alum that had served in any capacity with special recognition for those that paid the ultimate price.
List of UW students and personnel who died in World War II, University of Wyoming War Activities Council Records, Accession #300002, Box 27, Folder 10.3, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
While these pamphlets serve as reminders of those that served their country with ties to UW, on Veteran’s Day we celebrate those from across the country that have donned the uniform in the name of the United States Armed Forces.
– Originally submitted in 2017 by Katey Myers, American Heritage Center student aide.
