Our Tomorrowland

Dignitaries and cadets smile while cutting the ribbon in front of CLMS

By Katie Mallory '03, communications director

The completion of a vision first imagined in 2012 was celebrated Sept. 8 with the grand opening of the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building on Upper Quad.

Virginia Tech President Tim Sands; Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart, commandant of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets; Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and HightyTighty alumni boards chairs J. Pearson and Chuck Rowell; and Senior Vice President for Advancement Charlie Phlegar were joined by College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Dean Laura Belmonte and friends and alumni of the Corps for a ribbon cutting ceremony. In true Corps fashion, a cadet saber did the honors.

The nearly 74,000-square-foot building was funded by the generosity of donors and will now serve as the hub of Corps and ROTC activities. It boasts four dividable classrooms, the Corps Museum, multimedia and office spaces for Corps and ROTC staff members, a library, an honor court room, and the Integrated Security Education and Research Center, an interactive facility aimed at creating interdisciplinary engagement throughout homeland security, national security, and cybersecurity domains.

Virginia Tech is one of the country's six senior military colleges. Its Corps and ROTC programs work in unison to develop leaders for the nation. Previously, facilities for Corps and ROTC units were spread between multiple buildings. Now, the proximity of both programs in the new building strengthens that partnership.

“The building represents a truth that many may not fully appreciate. There are only six senior military colleges in this country. But the college is not the Corps. The college is the greater sum of the parts made up of the Corps and the ROTCs working and now living together in full partnership for the benefit of our cadets and midshipmen. That is the real promise of this new building,” said Fullhart.

Along with the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building, the ceremony also celebrated Upper Quad Hall North, the third and newest cadet residence hall that opened in August. The 56,000-square-foot building provides 301 new beds and is the home of cadets in regimental staff and 4th Battalion, who occupy the first two floors and half of the third. The other half of the third floor and all the fourth house students who are not in the Corps. As the regiment grows to its 1,400-cadet goal, cadets will reside on all floors of the residence hall.

Upper Quad Hall North offers a kitchen, a classroom, a conference room, study lounges, staff offices, a mud room, laundry room, instrument storage, and an athletic trainer facility and office. The completion of Upper Quad Hall North allows all cadets in the regiment to live near each other and returns to the tradition of Upper Quad as the home of all cadets.

“We’ve essentially created what could be considered a residential college here on Upper Quad,” Fullhart said. The revitalization of Upper Quad was announced in 2013, with the Corps Leadership and Military Science groundbreaking in June 2021. With a total cost of $52 million, Corps donors were key to the building becoming a reality. “The spirit of honor, service, and community that resides here will educate new generations of our nation’s military and civilian leaders. And it will be an inspiration for all Hokies for many years to come. To the donors who made this building a reality, thank you. We will be forever grateful,” Sands said during the grand opening ceremony.

A cadet points to an object in a display case in the museum for an older alumnus

The opening of both buildings completes the reimagining of Upper Quad with facilities that will accommodate growth of the Corps and excellence in its leader development program. “It is the beginning, a renewal, a reaffirmation of the entire quad, the Upper Quad, which was the origin site for the university and the Corps of Cadets which characterized this student body,” said Fullhart.

The Corps Leadership and Military Science building is replete with Corps symbolism, some hidden and others in plain sight. But it also tells Virginia Tech’s story with its museum. A special exhibit honors the sacrifices of Virginia Tech’s eight Medal of Honor recipients and recounts early tales of student life. Women in the Corps are celebrated with a display, and the original Skipper, the Corps of Cadets canon, serves as the focal point in the main entrance.

At 1,872 square feet, the new Corps Museum is a much-needed expansion of the Corps' display previously housed on the fourth floor of Newman Library and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays

An ariel view of a crowd on the first floor listening to the commandant speak, as seen from the third floor. The corps crest is in the middle of the atrium floor and the crowd is gathered around it.

Cadets have found a home in the building and can be seen in between classes browsing the museum and enjoying the common spaces spread throughout the facility.

"The Corps Leadership and Military Science Building brings everything great about the Corps into one hub for all of us to learn together every day," said Cadet Dylan Bowling, a junior majoring in international relations in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and a member of Air Force ROTC. "I really enjoy the museum. It's a meaningful place for me to stop by after classes to reflect on our history and what it means to be a cadet at Virginia Tech.”

"These buildings are not here because the Commonwealth of Virginia invested in them. You did. That’s why so many names are featured inside and on scholarships, and so many other aspects of our program. Welcome to your Upper Quad and the home of the Corps for the next 150 years. This is the true Tomorrowland."

-- Maj. Gen. Fullhart

STEP INSIDE THE CORPS LEADERSHIP AND MILITARY SCIENCE BUILDING

That I May Serve on the floor of atrium — Ut Prosim is translated, "That I May Serve,” as guests enter the building.

low angle view of atrium — The Pylons are represented by eight pillars, which are labeled in the same order and pairings found at the War Memorial Court.

wide angle view of atrium with Corps crest and skylight in view — In the center of the atrium, a skylight casts a light on the hand-installed Corps shield. Material in the shield catches and reflects the light from the sky above. Continuing the theme of "eight," two chandeliers light the atrium, each with eight lights. Each light features eight sides.

Corps Library with spacious seating and books all around — The Corps Library contains books on history and leadership, plus copies of the university's yearbook, The Bugle, for alumni to revisit their past.

Long view of display cases in the museum on three sides with benches in the middle — The Corps Museum contains artifacts, memorabilia, and stories from times past and present. Interactive displays help bring the stories to life. The original Skipper welcomes guests and the Medal of Honor Gallery tells the stories of our eight Medal of Honor recipients.

A long wall of digital art capped at the end by a wooden plaque reading "aircraft flow by alumni of the virginia tech corps of cadets" — Illustrations of aircraft flown by Corps alumni are displayed on the Aviation Wall of Fame.

rows of tables and chairs fill a classroom with white walls and dry erase boards — The CLMS contains four large classrooms, one each for the Citizen-Leader Track and the ROTCs. They can be divided into two separate spaces and contain innovative audiovisual support.

Big screen TV sits at the far end of the atrium in an alcove near a baby grand electric piano — The atrium can support various kinds of events from guest lectures, receptions, and dinners.

peeking into a classroom through a door near a sign that says "ISERC Crisis Response War Gaming" — CLMS also contains four spaces associated with the Integrated Security, Education and Research Center (ISERC), a facility dedicated to cyber training and exercises. The power comes from ceiling fixtures to allow flexible configurations. Adjoining the main ISERC room is a war gaming and national security exercise space, used to control exercises and evaluate the performance of teams inside ISERC. A two-way mirror allows observers to view the teams’ response to scenarios, without providing any hints to teams.

honor court room with a long bench of tables to face cadets as they complete honor hearings. Lane Hall is in the background outside of the balcony and a lighted night sky in a circular display is on the ceiling. — The Honor Court Room formalizes the Corps’ Honor Code process and reflects the importance of character in the development of leaders. The star pattern in the ceiling depicts the night sky in Oct. 1872 when the first cadet arrived, and the presence of true north reflects the necessity for unwavering adherence to a disciplined, ethical life.

view from balcony — The third floor balcony affords a view of the entire quad, aligning perfectly with the Addison Caldwell statue, all our U.S. flagpoles, including the one on Lane Hall, and the centerline of the CLMS building, creating an unbroken line from our origins to the home of the Corps for the next 150 years.

members of the army ROTC staff and cadets motion to an army flag hanging on the wall in their hallway — The ROTC units have made CLMS their home, as well. Navy and Air Force share the second floor, and Army resides on the third floor.

Exterior image of CLMS with the flag plaza in front — The exterior of the Corps Leadership and Military Science Building reflects the roles of the military in defending the Constitution of the United States. All branches of the military are displayed on the front of the building and all service flags are represented in the flag plaza. The Constitution of the United States is represented by the Great Seal of the United States on the front corners of the building. Service and Corps symbols are carved on the east and west faces on monoliths, each weighing 38,000 pounds. As with new Corps buildings, the year that is relevant to the location and the year the building was opened is displayed. In the case of CLMS, the year 1872 represents the beginning of the Corps while 2023 marks the opening of the building. The grommet between the two years symbolizes what cadets wear on their wheel covers. The Corps' coat of arms is displayed below the balcony.

Contact the Alumni Office

540-231-7431
vtccalumni@vt.edu

Mailing address

VTCC Alumni Office
CLMS Building (0213)
355 Old Turner Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061

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