Unit Information
The University of Pennsylvania's affiliation with the Navy
and Marine Corps dates back to the Revolutionary War when Penn graduate Major Samuel
Nicholas was chartered to form the Continental Marines on November 10,
1775. He recruited in Philadelphia's Tun
Tavern and led his men in an amphibious assault on New Providence in the Bahamas.
Since Major Nicholas' time, Penn graduates have served with both honor and
distinction in every major U.S.
conflict.
The ROTC unit at Penn was
started in 1940 in response to the growing need for highly trained
officers. During this time, the University of Pennsylvania's
Moore School of Electrical Engineering worked closely with both the government
and the military to create the ENIAC, the worlds first computer. The
spirit of cooperation between Penn and the government started the information
age. Today, the strong traditions of respect and cooperation between the
university and the military are evident in the university's unwavering support
of the NROTC unit.
The University of Pennsylvania
NROTC unit has cross-town agreements with Temple University and Drexel University. These agreements
allow scholarship and college program midshipman assigned to the Penn unit to
attend college at the cross-town schools. The University of Pennsylvania
NROTC unit is also one of the two units of the
Philadelphia Consortium. Colonel Manthe not only
commands the Penn unit but also the unit located at Villanova University.