New Mexico Military Institute facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids New Mexico Military Institute NMMI
Statue in Bronco Plaza
Address
101 West College Blvd. Roswell , Chaves County , New Mexico 88201 United States
Coordinates	33°24′36″N 104°31′29″W / 33.409896°N 104.524698°W / 33.409896; -104.524698
Information
School type	High School & Junior College (Military)
Motto	Duty, Honor, Achievement
Religious affiliation(s)	Non-denominational
Founded	1891
Founder	Joseph C. Lea, Robert S. Goss
NCES District ID	350225000984
Grades	High School (9-12), Junior College (Freshman-Sophomore)
Gender	Co-educational
Age range	13-23
Number of students	914
Average class size	15
Campus size	300 acres (1.2 km²)
Campus type	City
Color(s)	Scarlet and Black
Nickname	The Old Post
Team name	Broncos (college), Colts (high school)
Accreditation	AdvancED Commission
Tuition	$21,305/year (out-of-state) $14,823/year (in-state)
President/Superintendent	Major General (Ret. US Army) Jerry Grizzle


New Mexico Military Institute Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

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Location	Roughly bounded by Nineteenth and N. Main Sts., College Blvd. and Kentucky Ave., Roswell, New Mexico
Area	64 acres (26 ha)
Built	1907 (1907)
Architect	I.H. Rapp, et al.
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival
MPS	Roswell New Mexico MRA
NRHP reference No.	87000907
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 7, 1987

The New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) is a public military school in Roswell, New Mexico. It includes both a high school and a military junior college. NMMI was started in 1891 and is run by the State of New Mexico. It has its own special board that reports to the Governor of New Mexico.

NMMI is located in downtown Roswell. Each year, almost 1,000 students, called cadets, attend the high school and junior college programs. It is the only state-supported military college in the western United States. Many famous people who served in the military or in business have graduated from NMMI.

The school year at NMMI usually begins with nearly 1,000 cadets. Some students leave during the year because the school has tough academic and physical requirements. NMMI has a two-year Army ROTC program that helps about 30 cadets become U.S. Army second lieutenants each year. Also, nearly 100 cadets go on to one of the five United States Service academies annually.

NMMI's motto is "Duty, Honor, and Achievement." The Cadet Honor Code was created by the students in 1921. It says, "A Cadet Will Not Lie, Cheat, or Steal, Nor Tolerate Those Who Do." This code is managed by a group of cadets, with advice from staff. The school's sports teams are the Broncos for the junior college and the Colts for the high school. Their colors are scarlet (red) and black.

History of NMMI
NMMI Campus
Life as a Cadet
NMMI Athletics
Famous NMMI Alumni
See also

History of NMMI

New Mexico Military Institute, 1904

The New Mexico Military Institute was founded in 1891. It was first called the Goss Military Institute. Colonel Robert S. Goss and Captain Joseph C. Lea started it with 38 students. In 1893, the government of the New Mexico Territory recognized the school and renamed it NMMI.

However, the government did not provide money, so the school had to close on March 29, 1895. This day was known as "Bad Friday." Later, in 1894–1895, a funding bill was approved. James J. Hagerman then gave 40 acres of land for the school. This land is where the institute stands today. The school reopened in the fall of 1898.

Hundreds of NMMI graduates served in World War I and World War II. Famous alumni include John C. Morgan, who received the Medal of Honor, and Conrad Hilton, who founded the Hilton Hotels chain.

In 1948, NMMI added a four-year college program. But this program was stopped in 1956. In 1977, the school became fully coeducational, meaning both boys and girls could attend as cadets. Before that, some girls had attended as day students from 1891 to 1898.

The current leader of NMMI is Major General (retired) Jerry W. Grizzle. He was appointed in 2009.

NMMI Campus

The land for the campus was given to the school by a local rancher named James J. Hagerman. The main barracks (dorm buildings) are named after him. All the buildings at NMMI are built in a similar Gothic Revival style, using buff-colored bricks. The design of the campus was inspired by the Virginia Military Institute. The NMMI campus is recognized as a historic area on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hagerman Barracks, looking south toward Sally Port

Life as a Cadet

Cadets at NMMI are organized into a group called the Corps of Cadets. This group is set up like a cavalry regiment, with different squadrons and troops. The school has different classes for cadets, from 6th Class (9th grade high school) to 1st Class (college sophomore). Cadets earn their privileges and responsibilities based on their hard work.

The school is a military boarding school. This means all classes, meals, and training happen on campus in a controlled environment. Cadets start as "New Cadets," also called RATs (recruits at training). High school and college cadets are RATs for one semester. After that, they become "yearlings," and after a year, they are called "Old Cadets."

Cadets can also earn ranks in Junior or Senior Army ROTC. Starting in fall 2022, these ranks will be combined with the Corps ranks. Also, high school and college cadets were separated into different barracks in fall 2022, except for the top leaders. These ranks and groups decide a cadet's privileges and how they interact at the school.

The rules for cadets are written in a book called the "Blue Book." Rules are enforced using a system of "tours" and "demerits." Minor rule breaks might lead to physical activity, like push-ups. A "tour" means marching in uniform with a rifle for one hour. Cadets with too many demerits might be put on disciplinary probation, which means they lose many privileges. If cadets don't do well in school, they might be put on academic probation and lose privileges too. There is also Honor probation for breaking the NMMI Honor Code. Punishments are strict and given quickly when rules are not followed. Cadets can usually only leave campus on weekends, holidays, or during family visits.

All cadets live on campus in one of the two barracks. Cadets have access to many services, including:

Housing
Mail Room
Free Barber Shop
PX restaurant
Bates Dining Facility
Reveille Coffee Shop
Game Room
Cadet Store
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning service
Self-serve laundromat
Tailors
Chapel services
Infirmary (for health needs)
Cadet counseling center

There is also a bowling alley, which is currently being fixed up. The commandant and dean of students, COL Thomas Tate, leads the staff who guide the cadet leaders and manage cadet life.

NMMI Athletics

NMMI has strong sports teams. The college football team, the Broncos, plays in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference. They play against six teams from Texas and one from Oklahoma. The head coach is Kurt Taufa'asau, who used to play in the NFL and is an NMMI alumnus. He won several "Coach of the Year" awards. In 2021, the Broncos won the NJCAA National football championship game, which was shown on CBS.

Other college sports teams compete in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference. The women's college volleyball team, coached by Shelby Fortchner, was also a national runner-up in the 2021-2022 season. NMMI also has college golf, tennis, cross country, baseball, and basketball teams at the NJCAA level, all called the Broncos.

The High School sports teams are called the Colts. They compete in different divisions and districts within the NMAA (New Mexico Activities Association). These sports include football, soccer, volleyball, tennis, swimming and diving, golf, basketball, baseball, cross country, and track and field. They play against other high schools in New Mexico.

NMMI has great athletic facilities, such as:

The newly renovated Cahoon Armory
Stapp Parade Field/Soccer Field
Godfrey Athletic Center
NMMI Ballpark
NMMI Football Field
Gene Hardman Memorial Tennis Courts
The NMMI Golf Course
The Outdoor Fitness Factory
The Sports Medicine Facility

The Athletic Director since July 2014 is NMMI COL Jose Barron. He was named the NJCAA Athletic Director of the Year in April 2022.

Famous NMMI Alumni

Many notable people have graduated from the New Mexico Military Institute. Here are a few:

Link Abrams, professional basketball player
Bobby Baldock, a United States federal judge
Norman E. Brinker, founder of Brinker International restaurants
Nicholas Clinch, mountaineer and lawyer
Bill Daniels, a pioneer in cable television
Carlo D'Este, U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and military historian
Sam Donaldson, news anchor for ABC News
Julian Ewell, U.S. Army lieutenant general
Taylor Force, a soldier for whom the Taylor Force Act was named
Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotel chain
Paul Horgan, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author
Peter Hurd, artist who painted the presidential portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson
John C. Morgan, a pilot and Medal of Honor recipient from World War II
Guillermo Padrés Elías, former governor of Sonora, Mexico
Diego Pavia, college football player
Anthony Principi, former United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Roger Staubach, professional football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
G. Harry Stine, science fiction writer and pioneer of model rocketry
Owen Wilson, actor