ARMY ROTC WAS INITIALLY ESTABLISHED AT ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY AS AN ARTILLERY UNIT IN JANUARY 1936, WITH BASIC COURSE BEING MANDATORY INSTRUCTION FOR ALL MALE STUDENTS. IN SEPTEMBER OF 1952, ASU LOST AFFILIATION WITH THE ARTILLERY BRANCH WHEN SELECTED AS ONE OF THE THIRTY INSTITUTIONS TO TEST THE GENERAL MILITARY SCIENCE CURRICULUM, THE G.M.S. PROGRAM HAS REMAINED IN EFFECT TO DATE. THE RESULT IS THAT ASU COMMISSIONED OFFICERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN ANY BRANCH OF THE U.S. ARMY, DEPENDING ON THEIR PERSONAL DESIRES AND QUALIFICATIONS, AND THE NEEDS OF THE ARMY.
THE MANDATORY FEATURE OF THE PROGRAM WAS DISCONTINUED IN 1971, RESULTING IN A STATE OF CHANGE IN THE PROGRAM AT ASU. THE PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED FROM A COMPREHENSIVE ONE, INVOLVING ALMOST THE ENTIRE MALE STUDENT BODY, TO AN INCENTIVE DRIVEN, VOLUNTARY, PASSIVE RECRUITING ORIENTATION, AND IS NOW ORIENTED TO QUALITY PRODUCTION BASED ON ACTIVE RECRUITING.
SEVERAL ASU ROTC GRADUATES (COMMISSIONED OFFICERS) HAVE RISEN TO PROMINENCE IN AND OUT OF THE ARMY. TWO HAVE ACHIEVED THE RANK OF MAJOR GENERAL, MANY MORE HAVE ACHIEVED THE RANKS OF BRIGADIER GENERAL AND COLONEL, AND ONE HAS RECEIVED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. OTHERS HAVE BECOME PROMINENT CITIZENS AND BUSINESSMEN. THE LAST PRESIDENT OF ASU (DR. EUGENE SMITH) WAS COMMISSIONED A FIELD ARTILLERY LIEUTENANT IN 1952 HERE, HE SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF ASU TWICE WITH HIS LAST STINT BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY OF 1992.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE NOTED ABOVE, MANY ASU ROTC GRADUATES HAVE RISEN TO PROMINENCE AS STATE SENATORS, ASU FACULTY MEMBERS, LEADERS WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, MEMBERS OF THE ARKANSAS NATIONAL GUARD AND MANY ARE STILL ON ACTIVE DUTY TODAY.