The Citadel is reinforcing its commitment to veterans through its latest partnership. The college, along with other state organizations, has joined up with the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs to become a partner of the South Carolina Veteran Coalition—a collaborative effort that aims to create a community of support for veterans and their families across the state. Powered by the Combined Arms platform, the coalition is a statewide database of organizations and companies that provides support and resources for former military personnel and their dependents. Combined Arms brings together veteran-focused nonprofits, agencies and communities across the nation that are committed to serving those who served.

“Our recent partnership with the South Carolina Veteran Coalition is another example of how we at The Citadel support our veteran students and, now, other veterans in the state,” said retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Glenn Walters, ’79, president of The Citadel. “The Citadel has been named the Best University in the South for Veterans for the last six years, and our newest agreement with the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs will only enhance that fact.”

An important moment in solidifying the partnership occurred last summer when Secretary of South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Todd B. McCaffrey visited campus to sign the partnership agreement, symbolizing the shared commitment to enhancing the lives of veterans and their families.

“We are excited to be a part of this effort. It will help our Citadel community connect to the larger statewide community of veterans and their families,” said Sally Levitt, director of The Citadel’s Veteran Student Success Center. “The Citadel is proud to support our veteran students and continue to provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed both on and off campus.”

The Veteran Student Success Center at The Citadel opened in 2014 and has been serving veteran students ever since. Over the years, the VSSC has increased awareness of VA educational benefits and supplements The Citadel’s services and programming for veterans, active-duty members and their families.

Junior Cadet James Hart was at a Home Depot in his hometown of Oak Harbor, Washington, when he received an email from Craig Kozeniesky, the CEO of USA Shooting, inviting him to compete in the 2023 International Shooting Sports Federation Junior World Championships in Changwon, Republic of Korea. He spent 10 minutes in an excited daze before calling his parents to report the good news. As reality set in, Hart, who had never been out of the country before, realized that he had less than a month to procure a passport.

After a 12-hour flight from Seattle to Seoul, it was a short journey to Changwon. Hart arrived on July 11, a week and a half before he was set to compete in the 50m Rifle Prone Men Junior Individual and the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men Junior Qualification.

With more than six years of rifle team experience under his belt, Hart had placed 6th nationally for USA Shooting, qualifying him for the world championships. As a newcomer to the international stage, Hart was under pressure. “It was a mental challenge, but I was able to get in my zen mode,” he said. “You can really see the coaching coming through. I was able to see progress in each 10-shot series—that was huge for me.”

To Hart, it was more than just a personal victory to have arrived at such a prestigious level of competition. “This was one of those eye-opening moments where I realized I’m not here just to compete, but to represent who I am, and a lot of that is shaped by being a cadet at The Citadel,” said Hart. “I was upholding higher standards for myself while I was there because I knew that I was representing The Citadel and what it stands for.”

Hart, whose airfare and lodging for the trip were generously funded by the Athletic Department, placed 30th and 32nd in the two events he competed in, and he’s excited to bring back the lessons he learned to the rifle team. “The biggest thing that I took away from this experience was witnessing the high level of dedication and commitment to the sport that every single person there showed,” said Hart. “They’re 100% committed, and they’re not letting anything distract them.”

A Citadel alumna is advancing her career, and it all started with an email. When Taylor Diggs, who graduated in 2021, first saw the message in her inbox encouraging a group of Citadel graduates and current students to apply to Phi Kappa Phi fellowships and scholarships, she knew this would make a substantial impact toward her goal to serve others.

And it did. Diggs was selected as a recipient of a Marcus L. Urann Fellowship by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Diggs is one of only six recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious $20,000 fellowship, named for the society’s founder. The honor is no surprise, as Diggs was accepted to 14 law schools, with nine of them being among the nation’s top ranked. As a Urann Fellow, Diggs will pursue a juris doctor degree at Harvard Law School.

“As I reflect on my time at The Citadel, I have realized just how important mentorship truly is,” said Diggs. “Although military aspects of the cadet experience are usually in the forefront, I found the greatest mentors in the halls of academia.”

Diggs credits two Citadel professors for helping her with the application for the Urann Fellowship. Without encouragement from Scott Lucas, Ph.D., head of the department of English, and Licia Hendriks, Ph.D., an English professor and the director of graduate studies at The Citadel, Diggs would not have applied.

“Taylor was a remarkably impressive cadet. She graduated summa cum laude with a political science major and Spanish minor as a member of the Honors Program,” said Hendriks. “I taught her in an Honors English course in fall 2019, and she was constantly looking for ways to engage both creatively and intellectually.”

Originally from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Diggs worked as a paralegal case handler for the past two years, supporting and advocating for low-income tenants in New York City. She says this experience taught her that anyone can make a difference, even in the smallest of actions. Diggs’s experience in this role fueled her desire to continue to examine economic injustice across the country and the legal remedies to inequity.

Kevin Skenes builds electric guitars in his spare time, a natural hobby for someone who plays the guitar, bass guitar and mandolin and who has spent his life building things. As a boy growing up in Augusta, Georgia, he took apart watches, radios and old record players, then put them back together. “I really enjoy building stuff and taking it apart, seeing why it doesn’t work anymore and trying to make it better,” said Skenes. “You can have the coolest design for a rocket ever, but if you don’t know how to build it, it’s just a drawing on a piece of paper or pixels on a screen.”

As an undergraduate at Georgia Institute of Technology, he pursued a degree in mechanical engineering while swimming competitively. At 6’5”, the budding engineer competed at the U.S. Swimming National Championships in 2008 before earning his doctorate and joining The Citadel faculty.

In May, Skenes, who also serves as the mechanical engineering department head, received the James A. Grimsley, Jr., Award for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence, an honor voted on by the senior class. Senior mechanical engineering major Cadet Cameron Graham was not surprised that Skenes was chosen for the award. “He’s an outstanding professor and an expert in his field,” said Graham. “He is relatable, reliable and always willing to put forth his best work to help cadets advance their careers.”

When Skenes joined The Citadel in 2014, it was the first semester mechanical engineering was being offered, and he was excited about being a part of the new program. “At its fundamental core, we teach you how to solve problems,” said Skenes.

Teaching at a military college, Skenes discovered, has its advantages. The focus on developing cadets not only as students but as leaders prepares them for challenges outside the classroom and makes the college uniquely suited for helping engineering students succeed. “I love it because when you go into a class, they’re talkative, they’re engaged, they’re paying attention and offering input,” said Skenes. “Knowing how to be an engineer and knowing how to be an engineer who communicates well are two very different things. There’s a level of charisma that you don’t necessarily see in engineers elsewhere.”

In class, Skenes makes a point of showing his students the real-life successes and failures of mechanical engineering. “The failures are usually really fun because they involve things breaking or blowing up,” said Skenes. They also show that a mistake can be dangerous. “The lesson drives home the point that this is serious business, and if you screw this up, there will be consequences.”

For the 13th straight year, U.S. News & World Report has ranked The Citadel as the best Public University in the South. The rankings, which were released Sept. 18, cover academic institutions offering primarily undergraduate and master’s programs.

“We are deeply honored to be consistently recognized as the Top Public University in the South by U.S. News & World Report,” said Sally Selden, Ph.D., SPHR, provost and dean of the college. “We are committed to providing quality instruction from professors, utilizing innovative and high-impact practices across campus, and providing an outstanding return on investment for our cadets and students—that’s why I am especially proud of our rankings for Undergraduate Teaching, Innovative Schools and Best Value. These are all examples of how The Citadel achieves its mission to educate and develop principled leaders for all walks of life.”

Other notable rankings received by The Citadel include:

#1 Best Colleges for Veterans
Regional Universities (South)

#4 Undergraduate Teaching
Regional Universities (South)

#10 Most Innovative Schools
Regional Universities (South)

#15 Best Value
Regional Universities (South)

#23 Best Undergraduate Engineering Nationwide (non-doctoral)

Additionally, this year’s ranking marks the sixth consecutive year that The Citadel was named Best College for Veterans in the South. Veterans are welcome to earn a degree through all programs offered by The Citadel, including the day undergraduate program alongside the Corps of Cadets, the civilian evening undergraduate program and the master’s program. Veterans are the only student population approved to take classes with cadets, though they are not required to wear uniforms and do not live in the barracks.

Some of The Citadel’s most popular programs, including business, engineering and computer science, also earned high rankings on a national level. For years, The Citadel’s undergraduate engineering program has been consistently ranked as one of the top 25 in the country among institutions offering up to a master’s degree. Meanwhile, the college’s national rankings for both business (#159 in the nation) and computer science (#167 in the nation) have improved from last year.

As we were going to press, we were saddened to learn that two of our distinguished Citadel leaders had passed away. Within just days of each other Lt. Gen. Claudius E. “Bud” Watts III ’58, the 17th president of the college, and Board of Visitors member Col. Stanley Myers, ’98, left behind rich legacies that speak to their character and leadership and leave us better people for having known them.

Claudius E. Watts III, ’58

A native of Cheraw, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Claudius E. “Bud” Watts III, ’58, served and led with distinction in the military, academia, finance, and public service.

In 1954, Watts matriculated to The Citadel on a full ROTC scholarship. Later, as a U.S. Air Force officer, he amassed 7,000 flight hours as a command pilot, including 276 missions in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross three times, among other gallantry and combat awards. He was also awarded the nation’s highest non-combat award, the Defense Distinguished Service medal.

A Fulbright scholar, Watts was a lifelong learner. He earned degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Stanford Business School, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College, and he completed a leadership program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

In 1989, after decades of military service, Watts became the 17th president of his alma mater. His leadership was immediately tested by Hurricane Hugo. His seven-year tenure was also marked by improvements to programs and facilities, a once-in-a-decade academic reaccreditation and recertification of individual areas of scholarship.

Stanley Myers, ’98

Col. Stanley Myers, ’98, graduated from the South Carolina Corps of Cadets with a degree in political science. He returned to his alma mater in 2014 to serve on the Board of Visitors and was reelected for another term in 2020.

A humble man, Myers represented his alma mater and community with the utmost pride. He was a respected man and a steadfast servant leader. A native of Swansea, he contributed in countless ways to The Citadel and to the state of South Carolina.

A lawyer and lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina National Guard, he distinguished himself in his career, becoming the first Black military judge in South Carolina history. Last year, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, a preeminent and nationally recognized organization of lawyers.

During his time in the Corps of Cadets, Myers wore the number 16 for the Bulldog football team. He completed his athletic career at The Citadel having started 43 out of 44 games as quarterback. He is the only player in Citadel history ever to throw for 3,000-plus yards and to rush for 2,000-plus yards.

Each fall, The Citadel Foundation hosts the Leaders in Philanthropy induction ceremony. The event celebrates the generosity of those donors whose lifelong support allows the college to pursue its vision of achieving excellence in the education of principled leaders.

Members of the college’s lifetime, legacy and loyalty giving societies gather on campus to be honored in front of their peers.

The Citadel’s lifetime giving societies honor those individuals who have expressed their profound commitment to the college through their leadership gifts totaling $100,000 or more by the close of the preceding calendar year. Donors who have included The Citadel in their estate plans become members of The Citadel Legacy Society.

Through the Order of the Tartan, we acknowledge those loyal donors who have given consecutively at any level for 25 years or more. Beginning at the five-year mark, donors are recognized for their consecutive giving with a tartan-patterned lapel pin, with additional recognition offered at 10, 15, and 20 years. Upon reaching the 25th year, these loyal donors receive their tartan sash and are officially inducted into the Order of the Tartan at the annual ceremony.

The Citadel Foundation proudly welcomes the new Leaders in Philanthropy listed here who have joined their peers in this annual tradition celebrating charity and service as virtues of the principled leader.

On behalf of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and the entire campus community, we salute these individuals for their extraordinary generosity, vision and lifelong loyalty to The Citadel.

Class of 2023 New Inductees

Lifetime Giving Societies

Founders’ Society – Silver
$10,000,000 and greater

Just as the founders of The Citadel conceived of an institution that would “awaken greater ardor in the people, and a warmer interest in our rulers, to advance the cause of education,” members of the Founders’ Society demonstrate the vision and commitment that will ensure the long-term vitality of the college. The Founders’ Society is The Citadel’s most prestigious giving society.

Col. Allison D. Love, SCM, CGC ’93, and
Mr. Phillip E. Love, Jr.

Society of 1842
$1,000,000 to $4,999,999

Since its founding in 1842, The Citadel has molded individuals into citizen-soldiers who put into action the guiding principles learned in the barracks, in the classroom and on the parade field as they serve their families, their communities, their professions and their country with distinction.

Dr. and Mrs. Edward W. Bray, III, ’65

Mr. and Mrs. J. Kinson Cook, Sr., ’61

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Gregory W. Dyson, ’69

Mrs. Harriet P. McDougal Rigney

Mark Clark Society
$500,000 to $999,999

Gen. Mark W. Clark (1896-1984) became president of The Citadel after a career seldom equaled in the United States Army. During his tenure (1954-1965), The Citadel achieved international recognition, and the Corps of Cadets increased to the maximum capacity of the barracks. One of Clark’s most enduring accomplishments was the founding of the Cadet Honor Code, whereby a cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.

Mr. Karl J. Clauss, ’62

Mr. and Mrs. J. Preston Claytor, ’82

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Keohane, ’73

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ravenel, III, ’72

Lt. Col. and Mrs. R. Alexander Wilkins, ’79

Mr. and Mrs. J. Richardson Wood, Jr., ’64

Star of the West Society
$250,000 to $499,999

Citadel graduates have served their country in every conflict since the Mexican War. Named for the historic Civil War action led by a detachment of Citadel cadets, the Star of the West Monument on Summerall Field commemorates all Citadel cadets and graduates who have died in defense of their country and recognizes the strong call to service demonstrated by Citadel men and women.

Mr. Damond Williams Boatwright, ’94, and Dr. Makeba Williams Boatwright

Mr. James H. Broach, Jr., ’97, and

Mrs. Laura H. Broach, CGC ’00

Col. Alvin A. Perkins, USA, Ret., ’79

Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Potts, ’66

Lt. Gen. and Mrs. John W. Rosa, ’73

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Schivera, ’69

Mr. and Mrs. Mark G. Stephens, ’84

Gen. and Mrs. Glenn M. Walters, ’79

Summerall Society
$100,000 to $249,999

Gen. Charles Pelot Summerall (1867-1954) assumed the presidency of The Citadel in 1931 after retiring as chief of staff of the United States Army. During his 22-year tenure as president, the campus was greatly expanded to include many of the buildings that shape The Citadel footprint today, including Summerall Chapel, Capers Hall, LeTellier Hall and McAlister Field House.

Col. Thomas H. Brett, USA, Ret., ’63

Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Coté, ’79

Dr. and Mrs. William B. Cox, Jr., ’73

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Alexander J. Czernecki, Jr., ’70

Mr. and Mrs. Sumter F. de Brux, ’69

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey D. DiPasquale, ’81

Mr. and Mrs. J. James Duggan, ’85

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Estes, Jr., ’82

Dr. Joseph F. Flowers, ’57

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Frazer, ’86

Lt. Col. and Mrs. James T. Gettys, III, ’69

Mr. Robert E. Goodwin, Jr., ’94

Maj. Gen. and Mrs. John S. Grinalds

Mr. and Mrs. Terrell G. Herring, ’86

Mr. Fred W. Keefer, ’74

Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Lloyd, Jr., ’67

Mr. and Mrs. Patrick D. Molamphy, ’88

Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Nash, ’90

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Nuttall, ’75

Mr. and Mrs. David T. Ochoa, ’80

Mr. and Mrs. David L. Page

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Gilbert A. Pohl, ’76

Dr. and Mrs. William H. Porter, ’62

Mr. and Mrs. John C. Rama

Mr. William Robinson, ’64

Dr. and Mrs. John C. Ropp, III, ’97

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew V. Roughgarden, Jr., ’73

Mr. and Mrs. Claude A. Saleeby, Sr., ’71

Mr. J. Richard Sanders, Jr., ’94, and

Mrs. Julie A. Sanders, CGC ’00

Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Seidenberg, ’72

Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Tamburrino, ’89

Mr. Stephen A. Thompson, ’73

Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus A. Timmons, Jr., ’64

Mr. Scott B. Umstead, ’82

Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Vanvick, ’80

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Wells, ’85

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Yaeger, Jr., ’83

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Young, IV, ’02

Legacy Society

Planned Giving

The Citadel Legacy Society recognizes alumni and friends who support The Citadel with deferred gifts. Through their generosity and foresight, legacy donors help to secure the future of the institution through a variety of estate planning tools. The Citadel Legacy Society is open to individuals who have included The Citadel in their estate planning and who provide the college with documentation of their gift.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Preston Claytor, ’82

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Crenshaw, ’87

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Estes, Jr., ’82

Mr. and Mrs. Terry L. Fripp, ’58

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Grimes

Col. and Mrs. J. Laurence Hutto, Jr., ’87

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Keohane, ’73

Mr. and Mrs. Luther C. Kissam, IV, ’86

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Moorman, Jr., ’83

Mr. and Mrs. David T. Ochoa, ’80

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Steven M. Payne, ’73

Dr. and Mrs. John C. Ropp, III, ’97

Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Seidenberg, ’72

Mr. and Mrs. Mark G. Stephens, ’84

Mr. and Mrs. Palmer R. Stokes, ’12

Mr. Scott B. Umstead, ’82

Mr. and Mrs. P. Heath Verner, ’97

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Wells, ’85

Mr. and Mrs. Mark S. Wessel, ’79

Mr. and Mrs. J. Richardson Wood, Jr., ’64

Mr. and Mrs. William L. Yaeger, Jr., ’83

Order of the Tartan

Consecutive Giving

The Scottish tartan, a woolen cloth woven in a distinctive pattern of plaid, has long served as a symbol of loyalty and association with a particular region, family or clan. The Citadel’s Order of the Tartan recognizes and celebrates those loyal donors who have given consecutively to The Citadel each year for 25 years or more.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Adden, Jr., ’79

Mr. and Mrs. Michael V. Allen, ’82

Mr. and Mrs. Ingram P. Barlow, Jr., ’72

Mr. and Mrs. David B. Bell, ’71

Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Coe, ’73

Mrs. Miriam R. DeYoung

Mr. and Mrs. Robert O. Dixon, ’61

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Gregory W. Dyson, ’69

Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Eiserhardt, Jr., ’68

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick F. Ellis, ’64

Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Flintom, ’94

Col. and Mrs. Terrance M. Ford, ’67

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Glenn, ’73

Mr. William H. R. Gould, Jr., ’59

Mr. Thomas M. Hinds, ’56

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Douglas E. Kelley, ’82

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Carl V. Lillvik, ’61

The Honorable and Mrs. Robert R. Mallard, ’59

Lt. Col. Norman F. McLeod, USA, ’59* and Mrs. Sarah J. McLeod

Col. Russell T. Mease, ANG, ’85, CGC ’96, and Ms. Maria M. Urrechaga, CGC ’95

Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Montei, ’87

Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Morris, ’95

Mr. and Mrs. Craig D. Musick, ’62

Mrs. Constance S. Parramore

Dr. and Mrs. William H. Porter, ’62

Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Reeves, ’77

Dr. and Mrs. Orion A. Rust, ’80

Lt. Col. Gerhardt H. Schrage, USA, Ret., ’51

Dr. and Mrs. William F. Schupp, ’62

Mr. Robert C. Schwarze, ’59, and
Mrs. Lucille J. Schwarze*

Mr. Creighton H. Smith, ’79

Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Steers, III, ’68

Mrs. Analyn A. Stokes

Lt. Col. and Mrs. Michael A. Suthard, ’70

Col. and Mrs. David G. Tarbox, ’71

* Deceased

With a giant pair of golden scissors, retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Glenn M. Walters, president of the college, and Provost and Dean Sally Selden, Ph.D., cut the ceremonial dark blue ribbon in front of the newly rebuilt Capers Hall on September 9, accompanied by other college dignitaries. The crowd applauds, and The Citadel’s new 97,500-square-foot humanities building quickly begins to fill with guests.

For nearly 70 years, countless cadets and students passed through the hallways of the original Capers. When the building was constructed in the early 1950s, there were nearly 1,500 cadets enrolled, a majority of whom had classes in the building. During Capers Hall’s original construction, the building was part of a $700,000 college-wide expansion. Now, as the campus is in another era of revitalization, The Citadel has more than 2,100 cadets enrolled and more than 1,000 graduate, evening undergraduate and day students, almost all of whom will attend at least one class in Capers Hall.

At a cost of $67 million, the new Capers Hall now boasts many educational and technological improvements, such as a 250-seat auditorium, art gallery, digital media classroom, legal studies classroom, psychology interview rooms and more. In addition to these learning spaces, there are new offices, conference rooms, collaboration spaces and lounge areas for cadets, students, faculty and staff to use.

Capers Hall, as it has for the last several decades, will continue to serve countless Citadel cadets and students as they make their way through each hallway and classroom. But now, the building has spaces that are better suited to fit the advanced learning and teaching needs of the 21st century. The Citadel is committed to creating and maintaining safe and secure campus facilities to advance student learning, innovation and campus operations, an achievement that is shown clearly through its newest academic building.

To learn more about Capers Hall, visit citadel.edu/capers.