University in Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Armory Building
⎯⎯⎯
Military Training at the University
1896-1996
Photographed by McGhiever, May 11, 2021
1. The Armory Building marker, obverse
The Armory featured a ramp and sally port entrance leading to a two-story assembly and drill hall. The hall had suspended galleries and moveable partitions at the ends which enclosed men's and women's gymnasiums. When fully opened as an auditorium it seated 3,700. When used as a ballroom, there was dancing space for over 300 couples. After 1929, when Northrop Auditorium was completed, the hall continued
this page online
The Armory's main and top floors included classrooms and offices for military instruction, and later the Aeronautical Engineering Department. A running track, gun room, and quarters for University athletic teams were at the ground level. A rifle range extended the length of the building underground. The Armory hosted University athletic events and housed physical education instruction until replaced by Cooke Hall in 1933. In the 1940s, the west balconies were enclosed to accommodate instruction for Navy midshipmen. After World War II, the ground floor was devoted to training Air Force cadets. At the close of the twentieth century Army, Navy, and Air Force instruction continued in the Armory, along with University College and the programs of Continuing Education and Extension.
Photographed by McGhiever, June 11, 2020
2. The Armory Building marker, reverse
Between 1910 and 1916, the Cadet Corps trained in summer camps at Fort Snelling. The Corps was dissolved in 1916, when the National Defense Act established the Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.). In 1918, the World War I draft rapidly enlarged the Army, and over 6,000 men came to campus for the Student Army Training Corps program of collegiate and technical instruction.
In 1939, with World War II, the armed forces were enlarged again and Navy R.O.T.C. began at the University. When the nation entered the war, naval officer candidates received medical, dental, and engineering instruction, and naval aviators were quartered in Nicholson Hall while they took pre-flight training. The 88th Army Air Forces Training Detachment quartered hundreds of air crewmen
Photographed by McGhiever, May 11, 2021
3. The Armory, with marker at center right
Spanish-American War Memorial at far right
At the beginning of the Cold War in 1946, a program for aviator officers began under the Army Air Force. Air Force R.O.T.C. was established and became a distinct unit at the University in 1949. The three services have commissioned over 6,000 officers since 1935, and cooperate with similar programs at other universities around Minnesota, and with military reserve units in this area.
Erected 1996 by the Minnesota Historical Society and the University of Minnesota.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • War, World I • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
Location. 44° 58.636′ N, 93° 13.965′ W. Marker is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in Hennepin County. It is in University. It is on Church Street south of University Avenue SE, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15 Church St SE, Minneapolis MN 55455, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Spanish-American War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); University of Minnesota Spanish-American War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Continuing Education (within shouting distance of this marker); Campus Design (approx. 0.2 miles away); Opening Doors (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Liberal Arts (approx. 0.2 miles away); Spanning the Sciences (approx. 0.2 miles away); Education (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Minneapolis.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2021, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 1,098 times since then and 103 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 7, 2021, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
