Naval Heritage
As a land-grant university, the University of Arizona has a military heritage stretching back to 1896, when the first classes for military instruction began. Many people are unaware that this military heritage includes a rich Naval legacy, beginning with Wildcat Sailors and Marines who served and died in World War I. In World War II, the U.S. Navy established a Naval Training School at the UofA and trained 10,000 Naval officers for the war, along with another 591 officers in the Naval Aviation School. This heritage continues today with the Naval ROTC Program, which was establish in 1984 and has commissioned nearly 1,000 officers for the Navy and Marines Corps. The University boast several historical buildings used for military training, and many military memorials spanning from 1920 to 2017. The naval focus of the Student Union Memorial Center is indicative of the University's pride and support of this legacy. The map and links below provide details the University of Arizona’s rich naval heritage.
