The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Army ROTC Alumni Council held its Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Friday, November 12, the weekend of Homecoming. The 16 new inductees, some of whom were honored posthumously, had served in conflicts dating back to the World War I and gone on to make significant contributions in their personal and professional lives. They represent both the 2020 and 2021 classes and the long tradition of ROTC military service by UT Volunteers. The university’s military program dates back to 1844, when Professor Albert Miller Lea, a West Point graduate, organized an infantry company.
Inductees into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame include both UT alumni and honorary members, and are selected based on service to their country and communities.
“It says a lot about the character of the folks that in addition to graduating from UT and going out and having a great career, they chose service to their country as well,” said retired Brigadier General Geoffrey A. Freeman, a 1978 UT graduate and the current president of the Army ROTC Alumni Council. “We certainly want to honor those graduates who have excelled in their military and civilian careers. I think that in most cases these inductees would tell you that a large part of their success they’ll attribute to the military: the discipline they learned, the ethics, and the professionalism.”
2020 Hall of Fame Inductees
Inductees into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame include both UT alumni and honorary members, and are selected based on service to their country and communities.
“It says a lot about the character of the folks that in addition to graduating from UT and going out and having a great career, they chose service to their country as well,” said retired Brigadier General Geoffrey A. Freeman, a 1978 UT graduate and the current president of the Army ROTC Alumni Council. “We certainly want to honor those graduates who have excelled in their military and civilian careers. I think that in most cases these inductees would tell you that a large part of their success they’ll attribute to the military: the discipline they learned, the ethics, and the professionalism.”
2020 Hall of Fame Inductees
- Lieutenant Colonel Mark E. Ballew, retired (’86)
- Colonel John L. Della Jacono, retired (’74)
- Colonel Larry A. Greene, retired (’68)
- Lieutenant Colonel Clarence D. “Cid” Heidel Jr., retired (’69)
- Lieutenant Colonel W. Logan Hickman Jr., retired (’80)
- Major Trevor P. Joseph (’08)
- Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence M. Leahy, retired (’72)
- Lieutenant Colonel Marshall D. Merriss, retired (’74)
- Lieutenant Colonel Gene L. Moeller, retired (’53)
- Lindsey Nelson (’41)
- Colonel Jill M. “Noe” Newman, retired (’87)
- Charles P. Tombras Jr. (’64)
- Colonel William F. Skidmore, retired (honorary member)
2021 Hall of Fame Inductees
- Major General John E. Cardwell, retired (’84)
- Colonel Mark L. Garrell, retired (’86)
- Brigadier General Robert R. Neyland, retired (honorary member)
UT’s Army ROTC program is one of the oldest in the country, tracing its roots to the founding of the university in 1794. The program was officially founded in 1916 when ROTC was created at the national level. Visit UT’s Army ROTC website to learn more about the program.
