The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-04
1nnrovement In Scholastic
And Leadership Quail
ties Are Noted
D, FOSTER EDWARDS

Bv FOSTER EDWARDS
If the most important fea'
New Hanover High school
has never been told. 1t is the
Jaw and results of the r. o. 7. c.
~, story is given below with but
changes as it appeared in the
,ar and November issues Of the
w., carolina Education maya.
zine
,ince the Reserve Officers Train
earns was established in 1916
Ills nart of the nations defense,
d schools throughout the coun-
ma hove come to include R. O. 7. G.
y" uses in their program of
To1lowins the world war junior
-, of the R. O. T. C. have been
n.,hushed in many schools. One
e. its major purposes is the train
in peace time, of men suit
a nh1s TO become officers of the army
in a national emergency.
pocause of its appeal to a basic
u.asoi,line trait, the military in
s+inct. R. O. T. C. has been proved
~ he. above all else, a wholesome
IL not splendid aid to the mass
~n,vsical education of the growing
| youth.
marked Improvement in schol.
os+ic as we'll as campus leadership,
oommand. and other developing
ocbievements has been the crafty
ing result.
Naturally the applications from
enthusiastic high school authorities
for the installation of junior units
have svamped the War depart.
ment. Two years ago, it is report
ed. 30 applications were on files for
units in the Fourth Corps Area
alone a district comprising seven
southern states. Today there are
over 50.
Because of lack of funds, equip
ment, and commissioned personnel
only one R. O. T. C. junior unit has
been established in the two Caro-
linas, our own New Hanover High
school.
This good fortune, be it known
at the outset, Vas no accident.
Hamilton E. Hicks, connected with
the Government Engineering officer
in Wilmington, interested J. c.
Roe, member of the board Of edu.
cation, in the establishment of a
unit here. Both visualized the city
as an ideal location for a junior
R. o. T. c. unit.
Basing their arguments on the
| city's proximity to South Carolina
and the fact that the local high
school is the largest consolidated
secondary school in both Carolinas,
they had just cause to believe a
model unity could be established
here.s
With an enrolment of over 1900
the school contained the NUCLEUS of
an ideal battalion. Approximately
400 men, it has been found, com
prise a unity with which a small
staff can get the best results.
Part In History
As If these arguments were in
sufficient, the city was prepared to
point with pride to its major part
in the shaping of American history.
An important objective in Revolu-
tlonary war maneuvers, it was an
lmmeasurably strong military post
during the dark days of 1876
And lastly, Wilmington was one OF
the last cities in the country where
the draft was resorted to during
~ WUllu War.
Armed with those and many
other compelling facts, a deter
mined delegation, headed by H. M
Roland, superintendent of New Han
over county schools, and a former
world war officer, started out for
washington. Composed of r. B.
rage, publisher of the Star-News.
wllour R. Dosher, postmaster,
ponn Bright Hill. collector Of Gus
toms, ]. c. Roe, and L. 7. Lander
Inc board of education, and
.nafles Parmele, prominent bust
ness man, the delegation beseiged
sucn Washington dignitaries as
fsela'or Robert r. Reynolds, Rep
tssenlatlve J.. Bayard Clark, and
~ D. Adjutant General E.. T. Con
icy, for the establishment of a
WIN the backing of such Will
taliston organizations as the Ameri-
suA Legion, Veterans of Foreign
s"s' their auxiliaries Reserved
Salcefs association, D. A. r., Cham
h. u Commerce, the civic clubs.
Wv county Parent-Teachers asso.
aa.ons' and many other individual
suu groups, it's success was but a
flegone conclusion.
-Ae New Hanover High school
HM~valne the first and only high