The Military Life & Veterans research topic seeks to understand how military life, wars, and veteran status impacted W&L; how alumni, students, staff, and faculty engaged in or are currently engaging in military life and how they navigated or understood their status as a veteran while on campus; and how experiences at W&L shaped the trajectory of military careers and veteran life. The research on this page covers the ROTC Program at W&L, but will eventually include WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror. The research guide is not comprehensive and remains ongoing. Community engaged research, including oral histories, is an important part of this work, bringing new and valuable research perspectives to share with W&L and the broader community.

The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at W&L was founded in 1950 and lasted until 1990. During the 40 years of its history, the ROTC program made up a significant part of the student body and culture on campus, and veterans make up a sizeable amount of W&L alumni today. This research portal contains primary sources pertaining to W&L veterans and the ROTC program, including newspaper articles, interviews with veterans and alumni, and faculty letters.