Colonel George L. Converse, Jr.

Colonel George L. Converse, Jr.. . A pioneer of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program at The Ohio State University, Colonel Converse dedicated his life to serving his country and molding future military leaders. Born and raised near Columbus, Ohio, Converse enrolled at Ohio State at the age of 17 and later graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, class of 1880., Converse served on the western frontier and in the Spanish-American War. In one battle, Converse was shot in the eye and wore a black eye patch the rest of his life. University lore says that he could see more with his single eye than most men could see with two., He returned to Ohio State in 1900 as the university's first Commandant of Cadets in the Department of Military Science. During his 18-year tenure, enrollment in the ROTC program grew from 400 to almost 3,000 students., With the outbreak of World War I, Converse returned to active-duty status as examining officer for all Ohio officer training camps. During that period, he continued his teaching duties at Ohio State and co-authored the Ohio Plan, which outlined university civilian training programs. It led to establishing the ROTC as a national program., Converse Hall was named in his honor in 1973 and is considered the birthplace of ROTC in the United States.