Our History
From the first Continental Cadets to today’s midshipmen, explore the milestones that shaped Notre Dame’s century-long relationship with the Navy and Marine Corps.
1858–1862
Notre Dame’s earliest military ties
In 1858, student William B. Lynch organized a student military company with Father Sorin’s approval, leading to the Continental Cadets in 1859. On Christmas Eve 1862, three Holy Cross sisters boarded the USS Red Rover, the Navy’s first hospital ship, to nurse wounded soldiers along the Mississippi — now recognized as forerunners of the Navy Nurse Corps.
1925–1932
NROTC is created
Congressional legislation created the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1925. In 1932, the Marine Corps began offering Second Lieutenant commissions to NROTC graduates, expanding the program beyond the Navy alone.
September 1941
Notre Dame NROTC unit founded
The association between Notre Dame and the Department of the Navy began with the formation of an NROTC unit under Captain H. P. Burnett. The program offered a four-year course in naval science and tactics leading to a reserve commission. At the unit’s first Navy Day celebration, Admiral C. W. Nimitz spoke at Washington Hall.
February 1942
V-7 officer training begins
As the U.S. entered the war, studies were accelerated so students could finish degrees in three years or less. The Navy expanded officer training at Notre Dame with the V-7 program: candidates were indoctrinated at Notre Dame, then continued training at Abbott Hall in Chicago or aboard the USS Prairie State on the Hudson River.
September 1942 – January 1943
Notre Dame becomes a Midshipman Training Center
Notre Dame became one of four Midshipman Training Centers in the nation, alongside Chicago, New York City, and Annapolis. In January 1943, 1,100 ensigns graduated as the first group trained and commissioned entirely at Notre Dame. Among them was Ensign John Joseph Parle, who later received the Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life during the Sicily invasion in July 1944. The USS Parle (DE-708) was named in his honor.
1943–1944
V-12 program and Marine detachment arrive
In 1943, the Navy launched the V-12 program: two 16-week semesters of academics followed by specialty training. Notre Dame also acquired a Marine detachment under Captain John W. Finney, USMCR. The NROTC program remained active throughout, graduating its first class in February 1944. Over the course of the war, Notre Dame trained nearly 12,000 naval officers.
1945
The Holloway Plan and NROTC today
As the war ended, the V-7 and V-12 programs were phased out, leaving only NROTC. The 1945 Holloway Plan increased national NROTC enrollment to 15,400 midshipmen to meet the postwar Navy’s need for regular officers, combining Scholarship and College Program tracks in a structure that has remained largely intact to the present day.
Tri-Campus, One Unit
The Notre Dame NROTC Unit draws midshipmen from three undergraduate institutions, sharing a close tri-campus community rooted in tradition. Saint Mary’s College and Holy Cross College students complete the same NROTC requirements as their Notre Dame counterparts, with significant financial aid available through their home institution’s financial aid office.
Holy Cross College at Notre Dame is often confused with the College of the Holy Cross, a separate NROTC unit. To join the Notre Dame NROTC program, applicants must apply to Holy Cross College at Notre Dame.