Marion Military Institute facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Marion Military Institute

Motto	Truth, Honor, Service
Type	Public military junior college
Established	1842; 183 years ago (1842)
Parent institution	Alabama Community College System
Accreditation	SACS
Academic affiliations	AMCSUS
President	Colonel David J. Mollahan, USMC (Ret.)
Commandant	Colonel Edwin W. Passmore, USA (Ret.)
Academic staff	20 Full-time & 5 Part-time
Students	409
Location	Marion , Alabama , United States 32°37′25″N 87°19′16″W / 32.6237°N 87.3211°W / 32.6237; -87.3211
Campus	Rural,160 acres (0.65 km2)
Colors	Orange and black
Sporting affiliations	NJCAA Division I – ACCC
Mascot	Tigers

Marion Military Institute (often called MMI or Marion Military) is a public college in Marion, Alabama. It's a special kind of college called a military junior college. Founded in 1842, MMI is Alabama's official military college. It is also the oldest military junior college in the United States.

MMI is one of only four military junior colleges in the U.S. These colleges offer special programs. One is the Army's two-year Early Commissioning Program (ECP). In this program, qualified students can become a Second Lieutenant in the Army after just two years of college. MMI's ECP is one of the best in the country.

Another program is the Service Academy Program (SAP). This program helps students prepare for their first year at a U.S. Service Academy. All five Service Academies support and choose students for this program. MMI also offers programs for the Marine Corps and the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. Over the years, more than 200 generals and admirals in the United States Armed Forces have studied at MMI.

MMI is approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. This means it can give out Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. MMI is also a member of important groups like the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States.

Marion Military Institute is recognized as an Alabama Historical Marker. It is home to two places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the MMI Chapel and Lovelace Hall, and the President's House. The Alabama Military Hall of Honor is also on campus.

History of Marion Military Institute

This picture is believed to show J.T. Murfee (middle of the back row) with cadets from B company.

Marion Military Institute started in 1842 as Howard College in Marion, Alabama. It was founded by the Alabama Baptist Convention. During the American Civil War, some of the buildings were used as a hospital for the Confederacy. These buildings, like Lovelace Hall and the chapel, are now on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1887, Howard College moved to Birmingham. But the president, Colonel J. T. Murfee, and some students and teachers stayed in Marion. They started Marion Military Institute. It was a military high school and college, similar to Murfee's own college, Virginia Military Institute.

MMI's second president, H. O. Murfee, wanted the school to be like "the American Eton." Under his leadership, MMI became well-known across the country. Even President William Howard Taft was on its board. Woodrow Wilson, who later became president, spoke at a graduation in 1905.

World War I made MMI focus more on its military training. In 1916, the United States Army ROTC program began at MMI. The school was called an "Honor Military School with Distinction" by the U.S. Department of War.

The U.S. Army Early Commissioning Program started at MMI in 1968. In 1971, MMI began accepting both male and female students. In 2006, the Alabama state government made MMI "the State Military College of Alabama." As a public college, MMI stopped its high school program. The last high school class graduated in 2009.

Cadet Life and Structure

The historic MMI Chapel.

The President's House, Marion Institute, built in 1912.

The Headquarters of the Corps of Cadets after a parade in 2016.

Senior cadets helping junior cadets get ready for their LDAC in 2013.

Students at MMI are called cadets. They are organized into a battalion. This group includes the Headquarters staff and six companies: Band, A, B, C, D, and E. A cadet lieutenant colonel leads the entire battalion.

Each company has its own leaders. A cadet captain is in charge of each company. There is also a cadet first lieutenant, who is the executive officer. Two cadet second lieutenants lead platoons. Each company also has a cadet first sergeant and two cadet sergeant first class platoon sergeants.

Platoons usually have three to four squads. Each squad is led by a cadet staff sergeant. Squad leaders also have a team leader. These team leaders can be cadet sergeants or corporals, depending on their experience.

Class A uniform rank insignia	Class B, C and ACU rank insignia	Cadet rank	Position
		Lieutenant Colonel	Battalion Commander
		Major	Battalion XO, S3 Honor Council Chair
		Captain	Company Commanders Battalion S1, S2, S4, S5
		First Lieutenant	Company XO Battalion Chaplain Organizational Commanders (White Knight, Swamp Fox, and Honor Guard, HQ Staff Assistant)
		Second Lieutenant	Platoon Leader
		Command Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major
		First Sergeant	Company First Sergeant
		Sergeant First Class	Platoon Sergeant
N/A		Staff Sergeant	Squad Leader Assistant S5
N/A		Sergeant	Team Leader
N/A		Corporal	Team Leader
N/A		Private First Class
N/A		Private
N/A	N/A	Private	New Recruits

Athletics at MMI

The MMI football team, who were state champions in 1912.

Marion Military Institute's sports teams are called the "Tigers." They are part of the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC). This conference is a division of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

MMI currently has several sports teams. These include baseball, men's basketball, softball, tennis, cross country, and golf. The school's original colors were pink and green. But they changed to orange and black after Woodrow Wilson visited. The tiger mascot was chosen to honor Princeton University.

In the 2015–2016 season, the MMI men's basketball team won their first ACCC Basketball Championship. They had 15 winning games in a row. They also played in the NJCAA Men's National Basketball Championships.

The Marion Military Institute men's tennis team has been very strong. They won the NJCAA Region XXII Championship five years in a row, from 2011 to 2016. In 2013, former MLB player Matt Downs became the head coach for the baseball team. In 2016, Christopher Lawrence became the cross country coach.

MMI also used to have a football team. They won the state championship in 1912. In 1918, MMI beat Howard College Football Team with a score of 101–0. This was MMI Football's biggest win. In 1922, MMI lost to the University of Alabama 0-110. This is still the biggest win for the Crimson Tide.

Leaders of Marion Military Institute

The Alabama Military Hall of Honor.

Sixteen people have served as president of Marion Military Institute. Here is a list of them:

No.	Portrait	Name	Term	Notes
1		J.T. Murfee	1887–1906	Former lieutenant colonel, CSA First captain and 1st in VMI Class of 1853
2		H.O. Murfee	1906–1919
3		W.L. Murfee	1919–1944
4	–	J.T. Murfee II	1944–1953
5	–	Linton H. Baer	1953–1954
6	–	Robert Calhoun Provine	1954–1958
7		Cato D. Glover	1958–1959	Admiral, USN (Ret.)
8	–	Paul B. Robinson	1959–1973
9		Draper Kauffman	1974–1976	Rear admiral, USN (Ret.)
10	–	Thomas H. Barfield	1976–1983	Major general, USA (Ret.) Class of 1935
11	–	Clyde W. Spence	1983–1990	Major general, USA (Ret.) Class of 1946
12	–	Joseph L. Fant III	1990–1994	Major general, USA (Ret.) Class of 1947
13		Wayne T. Adams	1994–1998	Brigadier general, USMC (Ret.) Class of 1960
		vacancy	1998–2000
14		Robert F. Foley	2000–2004	Lieutenant general, USA (Ret.) Medal of Honor recipient
15	–	James H. Benson	2004–2009	Colonel, USMC (Ret.)
16		David J. Mollahan	2009–present	Colonel, USMC (Ret.)

Famous People Who Attended MMI

Many notable people have attended Marion Military Institute. They have gone on to achieve great things in various fields.

Early Commissioning Program Graduates

Service Academy Program Graduates

Other Notable Alumni

• Mike Carey, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Bernard Ford, a former NFL player
• Miller Reese Hutchison, an electrical engineer and inventor
• Maston E. O'Neal, Jr., a member of the U.S. House of Representatives
• Jimmy Rane, founder and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving
• Eugene Sledge, a U.S. Marine, professor, and author
• Tom Stagg, a judge for the U.S. District Court
• Dwight Stone, a former NFL player
• Robert H. York, U.S. Army lieutenant general

See also

• Judson College