Harvard’s done two things this year they hadn’t done in a long, long time: recognize ROTC officially, and host a welcome reception for veterans.
The school was the first of the Ivies without ROTC to open the doors to its return, on the urging of university president Drew G. Faust. The shift is pretty marked at the school, which had barred ROTC from official recognition since 1968 until earlier this year:
“We hope we can have the kind of the arrangement with the other services that we have with the Navy,” University President Drew G. Faust said.
Several speakers said that though Harvard has historically been unwelcoming of the military, relations have improved in recent years, especially during Faust’s tenure. Critics have said that while recognition is a good first step, Harvard still has a ways to go in making cadets and veterans feel welcome on campus.
“That requires an attitude change,” said Capt. Paul E. Mawn ’63 USNR (Ret.), chairman of the Advocates for Harvard ROTC. “It’s not a problem in the senior administration, it is in the faculty and in the general perception of Harvard.”
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.