Norwich University

The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont by Captain Alden Partridge, military educator and former superintendent of West Point. Partridge believed in the "American System of Education," a traditional liberal arts curriculum with instruction in civil engineering and military science. After leaving West Point because of congressional disapproval of his system, he returned to his native state of Vermont to create the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. Partridge, in founding the academy, rebelled against the reforms of Sylvanus Thayer to prevent the rise of what he saw as the greatest threat to the security of the young republic: an aristocratic and careerist officer class. He believed that a well-trained militia was an urgent necessity and developed the American system around that idea. His academy became the inspiration for a number of military colleges throughout the nation, including The Citadel, and later the land grant colleges created through the Morrill Act of 1862.[4] Today, Norwich offers substantial online distance graduate programs and is similar in many regards to The Citadel in mission, online offerings, student body composition, and size. All entering freshman entering the Corps of Cadets are called "Rooks" and their first year at Norwich is called "Rookdom". The institution of "Rookdom" consists of two three-month processes that mold civilians into Norwich Cadets: Rook Basic Training and Basic Leadership Training. Culmination of Rook Basic Training marks the halfway point toward Recognition and occurs before Thanksgiving break, after which Rooks are awarded privileges. Recognition into the Corps of Cadets typically occurs around the eighteenth week.

Partridge's educational beliefs were considered radical at the time, and this led to his conflicting views with the federal government while he was the superintendent of West Point. Upon creation of his own school, he immediately incorporated classes of agriculture and modern languages in addition to the sciences, liberal arts, and various military subjects. Field exercises, for which Partridge borrowed cannon and muskets from the federal and state governments, supplemented classroom instruction and added an element of realism to the college’s program of well-rounded military education.

Partridge founded seven other military institutions during his quest to reform the fledgling United States military. They were the Virginia Literary, Scientific and Military Academy at Portsmouth, Virginia (1839–1846), Pennsylvania Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy at Bristol, Pennsylvania (1842–1845), Pennsylvania Military Institute at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (1845–1848), Wilmington Literary, Scientific and Military Academy at Wilmington, Delaware (1846–1848), the Scientific and Military Collegiate Institute at Reading, Pennsylvania (1850–1854), Gymnasium and Military Institute at Pembroke, New Hampshire (1850–1853) and the National Scientific and Military Academy at Brandywine Springs, Delaware (1853).

In 1825 the academy moved to Middletown, Connecticut, to provide better naval training to the school's growing Corps of Cadets. Beginning in 1826, the academy offered the first program of courses in civil engineering in the US. In 1829, the state of Connecticut declined to grant Captain Partridge a charter and he moved the school back to Norwich (the Middletown campus became Wesleyan University in 1831). In 1834, Vermont granted a charter and recognized the institution as Norwich University. During the 1856 academic year, the first chapter of the Theta Chi Fraternity was founded by cadets Frederick Norton Freeman and Arthur Chase. With the beginning of the Civil War in 1861, Norwich cadets served as instructors of the state militias throughout the Northeast and the entire class of 1862 enlisted upon its graduation. Norwich turned out hundreds of officers and soldiers who served with the federal armies in the American Civil War, including four recipients of the Medal of Honor. One graduate led a corps, seven more headed divisions, 21 commanded brigades, 38 led regiments, and various alumni served in 131 different regimental organizations. In addition, these men were eyewitnesses to some of the war's most dramatic events, including the bloodiest day of the conflict at Antietam, the attack up Marye's Heights at Fredericksburg, and the repulse of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Seven hundred and fifty Norwich men served in the Civil War, of whom an estimated fifty-six fought for the Confederacy.[5] Because of the university's participation in the struggle, the number of students dwindled to seven in the class of 1864 alone.

The Confederate raid on St. Albans, Vermont precipitated fear that Newport, Vermont was an imminent target. The Corps of Cadets quickly boarded an express train for Newport, the same day, October 19, 1864, to the great relief of the inhabitants.[6]

After a catastrophic fire in 1866 which devastated the Old South Barracks and the entire Military Academy, the town of Northfield welcomed the struggling school. The Civil War, the fire, and the uncertainty regarding the continuation of the university seriously lowered the attendance, and the school opened in the fall of 1866 with only 19 students. The 1870s and 1880s saw many financially turbulent times for the institution and the renaming of the school to Lewis College in 1880. In 1881, the student body was reduced to only a dozen men. By 1884, the Vermont Legislature had the name of the school changed back to Norwich. In the 1890s, the United States Army and Norwich expanded their collaboration, including the two-year appointment of career officer Jesse McI. Carter as an instructor and Commandant of Cadets. In 1898 the university was designated as the Military College of the State of Vermont.

As part of the Vermont National Guard, the school's Corps of Cadets was mobilized as a squadron of cavalry in the First Vermont Regiment to assist in General John J. Pershing's Mexican Expedition. This greatly disrupted the academic year and in 1916 the War Department designated Norwich as the first site for a Senior ROTC cavalry unit; also in 1916, the first African-American to attend the university, Harold "Doc" Martin (NU 1920), matriculated. Classes graduated early for both the First and Second World Wars and many Norwich-made officers saw service in all theaters of both conflicts. Professional education offered at Norwich also changed and adapted with the advance of technology. Military flight training began in 1939 and from 1946 to 1947, horse cavalry was completely phased out in favor of armored cavalry.

Graduates returning from European and Pacific fields of battle found a university very different from the one they had left behind. From the late 1940s to the 1960s, Norwich was greatly expanded and added a number of new opportunities. In 1947, the Army Department created a new program uniquely suited to Vermont's harsh climate: a mountain and cold weather warfare unit. Air Force and Navy ROTC programs were established in 1972 and 1984 respectively. During the 1974 school year, the university admitted women into the Corps of Cadets, two years before the federal service academies. The 1972 merger and 1993 integration with Vermont College added two groups to "the Hill," women and civilian students. In 2001, Norwich sold its Vermont College campus and non-traditional degree programs to the Union Institute and University.[7] Vermont College's arts programs were spun off as the once again independent Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2008.

Prior to the 2009–2010 school year companies consisted of one upperclassmen platoon and one freshmen platoon, with each platoon consisting of three squads. The companies in the original system were Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Kilo, Lima, Mike, Band, Drill Team, Military Police and Artillery. The companies Alpha through Mike were known as "line companies", and were part of Battalions 1, 2, 3 and 4. Band, Drill Team, Military Police and Artillery were placed in Provisional Battalion. Under this traditional system a cadet could spend his entire time at the school in one company. While this had the benefit of creating unique cultures and traditions in each company, and strengthened the bond each cadet had with his/her fellow "Rook Buddies" and the Corps and school at large, sometimes long-standing company traditions would lead to fraternity-like hazing and eventually challenge the authority of the Corps chain of command.

In 2009, the Provisional Artillery Company was deactivated.[8]

In the nineteenth century, hazing of undergraduates by upperclassmen was normal in all military schools and many non-military ones as well. Hazing diminished in the early 20th century. By the late 20th century, it became not only counter to university rules but illegal as well. Nevertheless, there were several reported instances of hazing in 1990 and 1995.[9]

In 1910 Ainsworth Hall was constructed for the United States Weather Bureau as its central Vermont station. Returned to the university in 1948, it served as the administrative headquarters of the campus. By 1955, growth of the university forced the relocation of the administration back up the hill to Dewey Hall. When also in 1955 construction began on Webb Hall to the immediate west of the building, the infirmary moved into the now empty structure. Due to an expansion of the university in the 1960s and 1970s the building was converted into the home of the Division of Social Sciences. The building is named for Mrs. Laura Ainsworth, widow of Captain James E. Ainsworth (NU 1853), who in 1915 worked to bring an infirmary to campus.

Chaplin Hall, originally Carnegie Hall, was built in 1907. The School of Architecture + Art is located there. Paid for by Andrew Carnegie, the building served as the university's library until 1993 with the construction of Kreitzberg Library. When the library was renovated in 1952, from the contributions of trustee Henry P. Chaplin, it was rededicated as the Henry Prescott Chaplin Memorial Library. Until 1941 and the addition of Partridge Hall to the growing campus, Chaplin Hall also provided the classrooms and offices for the Department of Electrical Engineering.

This building, on the site of the first building in Northfield Center, contains the offices and classrooms of the Communications Department. The offices for the school newspaper The Guidon and the studios for the university's radio station WNUB-FM are also located in this building. The building was purchased by the university in 1973 and restored in 1988.

Named for Admiral of the Navy George Dewey (NU 1852–1854), and completed in 1902, Dewey Hall is one of the oldest buildings in the Northfield campus. It was originally two stories high with the lower floor occupied by offices of the university's administration, the library and museum. Office space for trustees and faculty, a chapel with a seating of five hundred and the United States Weather Bureau were located on the second floor. With the departure of the Weather Bureau in 1909 and the completion of the then new Carnegie Library in 1907, the Hall was primarily used by the Military Department. In October 1925 a fire gutted the building which led to its reconstruction as a three-story structure.

Hollis House is today the location of a number of classrooms and offices of the College of Liberal Arts. Built in 1852, the building was until 1909 the house of a number of prominent residents of Northfield. When sold that year to the university, it became part of the US Weather Bureau's station collocated on campus. The building was later named for David B. "Dixie" Hollis (NU 1922) who upon his death in 1993 gave what was then the largest donation in the university's history: $7 million.

The Engineering, Math and Science Complex houses the David Crawford School of Engineering as well as the departments of Geology, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics and Sports Medicine. An addition of Nursing was completed in 2011. The complex (known as the "U" building) is composed of six sections: Juckett, Partridge and Tompkins Halls, the Science Building, Bartolleto Hall and the Cabot Annex. The complex was completed in 1997 and replaced a previous set of 1940s- and 1950s-era facilities. The Engineering, Math and Science Complex also contains the university's Information Technology Services office.

Kreitzberg Library is named in recognition of Barbara and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Fred Kreitzberg (NU 1957).[10] The library has a catalog of more than 240,000 books, about 45,000 electronic journals, and a collection of federal government publications. The Norwich University Archives and Special Collections has rare books and unique source materials relating to military history, the history of Vermont, and the history of the university. The 58,000-square-foot (5,400 m²) library was designed by Perry Dean Rogers Architects. It was completed in 1993 at a cost of $8.1 million. In 2015, a renovation project brought the library into the twenty-first century with enhancements including new workstations, group-study and collaborative-learning areas, new technology-enabled classrooms, and a café. Additional improvements include two new conference rooms, a 77 percent increase in the number of seats, and an increase in data speeds.

Webb Hall was completed in 1960 and originally housed the English, Modern Languages, Social Sciences, Business Administration and the Psychology and Education departments. Dole Auditorium, which seated over four hundred people, was located in Webb Hall. The building is named after J. Watson Webb, a Norwich trustee. The auditorium honored Charles Dole (NU 1869), who served in his career at the university as an instructor in mathematics and Latin, a professor of history and rhetoric, the commandant of cadets and acting president of the university from 1895 to 1896. In 2017, Webb Hall underwent a major renovation that included the dismantling of Dole Auditorium. Following the commencement of the spring semester in 2019, Norwich University completed renovations on Webb Hall, now known as North Hall.

• Hawkins Hall – Named for General Rush Hawkins, a colonel in the Civil War, and philanthropist. Built in 1940 and renovated in 1994 and again in 2008
• Dodge Hall – Named for Major General Grenville M. Dodge, a leader in the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad and US Congressman. Originally named Cabot Hall, it was built in 1937 and renovated in 1998 and again in 2013
• Patterson Hall – Named for a 1909 graduate in civil engineering and a trustee. Built in 1958. Renovated in 2017.
• Goodyear Hall – Named for Major General A. Conger Goodyear, a trustee and founder of the Museum of Modern Art. Built in 1955 and renovated in 1999 and again in 2015
• Wilson Hall – Named for Governor of Vermont, Stanley Calef Wilson. Renovated in 2011
• Alumni Hall – First housing-only hall at the Northfield campus, named for the significant alumnus contributions that allowed for its construction. Built in 1905 and renovated in 2005
• Ransom Hall – Named after Colonel Truman B. Ransom, the second president of the university, who was killed leading the assault on Chapultepec during the Mexican–American War.[11] Built in 1957
• Gerard Hall – Named after industrialist and philanthropist Jacques A. Gerard, who became a trustee in 1959. Built in 1962, and renovated in 2010
• Crawford Hall – Named after David C. Crawford (1952) and after whom the School of Engineering is also named, it is the first residence hall to not be on the Upper Parade Ground and was typically reserved for traditional students. As of 2012, it housed both upperclassmen in the Corps of Cadets and civilians. Since the opening of South Hall, it solely houses cadets. Built in 1988.

• South Hall – It is the second dorm to be located off of the Upper Parade Ground and is reserved for traditional students. Built in 2009, it opened for the 2009–10 school year.
• Dalrymple Hall – The newest residence hall, completed in 2014 at a cost of $23.2 million. Tuition will rise 3% as a result of this new building.[12]

Andrews Hall

Andrews Hall, built in 1980, houses the Department of Athletics. In addition, it has basketball and racquetball courts and the equipment and athletic training rooms for the university's varsity and intramural teams. The Athletic Hall of Fame is also located in Andrews Hall. The facility honors trustee Paul R. Andrews (NU 1930).

Kreitzberg Arena

Kreitzberg Arena is home to the men’s and women’s varsity ice hockey teams, as well as the school’s club team.

Plumley Armory

The armory, built in 1928, is named to honor a notable 1896 graduate of the university, Charles A. Plumley. Plumley served as the president of the university from 1930 to 1934 when he was elected to Congress as Vermont's sole representative from 1934 to 1951. The main floor of the building provides seating space for 4,000 in an area as large as three basketball courts. There is an elevated running track as well as locker rooms, training rooms, and Navy ROTC offices in the basement. Connected to the armory is Goodyear Pool. Built in 1962, the pool is a 25 x 14 yard 6 lane facility that is open to all university members.

Sabine Field

Sabine Field

Dedicated in 1921, Sabine Field was originally a venue for football, baseball, track, and outdoor ice hockey.[13] Over time, as hockey moved indoors and baseball found its own home at Garrity Field, Sabine continued to serve the university football and cross country teams. Then in 2013, a renovation transformed Sabine Field into a multi-sport, multi-activity, lit stadium that can be used in most weather conditions. The improvements included synthetic turf field that meets NCAA regulations for football, soccer, and lacrosse, a 400-meter resilient urethane running track with 42-inch lanes, energy-efficient stadium lights, a new sound system, bleachers, and press box, and other upgrades. On October 4, 2013, Sabine Field was officially renamed to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium. Sabine Field was dedicated in 1921 in honor of the memory of 1868 graduate Dr. George K. Sabine’s son, George K. Sabine Jr., who died shortly after returning from overseas.

Shapiro Field House

Shapiro Field House, built in 1987 and named for trustee Jacob Shapiro (NU 1936), houses a multipurpose arena that has a 200-meter indoor running track, four tennis courts, and a climbing wall. It is also used for morning PT (Physical Training), athletic practices, Commencement, concerts and other university functions.

The Harmon Memorial

The Harmon Memorial is a tribute to Major General Ernest Harmon, who attended Norwich University from 1912 to 1913 and was later president from 1950 to 1968. Recorded on the memorial, by year of death, are the names of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of Norwich University that have made a "significant contribution" to the university.

Harmon Hall & Wise Campus Center

Harmon Hall opened in 1955 and later enlarged in 1958. Since then, it has served as the focal point for student life and activities. The campus mess hall, bookstore, post office, and The Mill (a snack bar open to Corps upperclassmen and civilians) are located on the lower two floors. The Foreign Student Office, Student Activities, Yearbook Office, Music Program offices, a game room, and a lounge were located on the top floor. This floor originally housed the departments of English, History, and Modern Languages until they were moved to Webb Hall in 1960. Harmon Hall was renovated in 2007. The addition onto Harmon Hall is named the Wise Campus Center.

Jackman Hall

Norwich University moved to Northfield from Norwich, Vermont, in 1866 when the South Barracks at the older location were destroyed by fire. Old Jackman Hall was the first building to be constructed at the new central Vermont site. The building was erected in 1868, and named Jackman Hall in 1907 to honor Brigadier General Alonzo Jackman (NU 1836) a faculty member, proponent of the Transatlantic telegraph cable and militia Brigadier General during the American Civil War. From its construction till 1905 the building served as housing for cadets. In the mid-1950s Jackman Hall was extensively remodeled and modernized, however, it became apparent that the almost century-old barracks were too costly to maintain. It was decided that rather than pay for near continual upkeep to build a new hall on the same site. As many newer barracks had been built since its original construction it was decided that the new Jackman Hall would serve as the primary administration building. Currently the Army and Air Force ROTC departments are also housed in Jackman Hall.

White Chapel

Constructed by a gift from Eugene L. White (NU 1914), a trustee, the chapel was completed in 1941. Originally designed as a multi-purpose building, then White Hall has served as a mess hall with a dining room, lunch room, kitchen, a college store and a recreational room. White Hall was converted to the university's first single-purpose chapel after Harmon Hall was opened in 1955. There are two bronze plaques on the walls that honor the Norwich war dead. Weekly services include Catholic Mass on Wednesday and Sunday, non-denominational service on Sunday, and Islamic prayer on Friday.

Sullivan Museum and History Center

One of the newer buildings on the campus, the Sullivan Museum was opened January 22, 2007. The building is named after General Gordon R. Sullivan (ret.), Norwich class of 1959 and former U.S. Army Chief of Staff. The Sullivan Museum houses state-of-the-art conservation, storage, and display facilities for the wide variety of Norwich University artifacts and memorabilia. Items currently displayed cover a wide spectrum of Norwich history, including uniforms worn by Alden Partridge and Alonzo Jackman to pieces from more recent history.

Cadet officers and non-commissioned officers command the Corps of Cadets. As leaders, they are responsible for the day-to-day administration, operation, training and discipline of the Corps. Norwich is one of six senior military colleges in the country recognized by Title 10 of the U.S. Code, Section 2111a(f). This entitles eligible ROTC graduates to active duty service if they so choose. Until 2018, the Corps was structured as a regiment commanded by a cadet colonel (C/COL) with five battalions each commanded by a cadet lieutenant colonel (C/LTC) and a Headquarters company commanded by a cadet major. 1st, 2nd, and provisional battalions were composed of companies of upperclassmen commanded by a cadet captain with two or three platoons per company. 3rd and 4th Battalion were freshman training battalions and were composed of three companies of three platoons each. This structure was put in place for the 2009–2010 school year, replacing the more traditional "Original Company" system.

In fall of 2018, the Corps of Cadets was reorganized as a regiment, still commanded by a cadet colonel, having only three battalions (1st, 2nd, and Provisional), commanded each by a C/LTC (Headquarters Company now falls under the command of Provisional Battalion). In addition to having two upperclassmen companies (of three platoons each), both line battalions also contain freshman training companies (consisting of three platoons each). Provisional Battalion now houses Headquarters Company and one freshman training company (containing three platoons) which feeds into its original three specialty units (Band Company, Drill Company, and the Cavalry Troop).

This change creates a “sister company” partnership with upper-class companies and the Rook training companies (CTC 1 partnered with A Co etc.). This “sister company” construct creates a partnership between a Rook Training Company and an upper-class company. For instance, if a Rook is in CTC 1 his first year, he will matriculate to A Co. his second and subsequent years. A Co.supports CTC 1 in training and has a vested interest in CTC 1’s success because the Rooks in that Company will be members of A Co. the following year. Freshmen in CTC 5 who do not complete the specialty unit training required to be in Band Co, Drill Co, or the Cavalry troop will be assigned to a unit in a line battalion at the start of their second year in the corps.

Norwich University Corps of Cadets rank insignia follows West Point with the use of chevrons to show all cadet ranks in lieu of chevrons, disks, or lozenges. Any recognized cadet defaults to the rank of private if they hold no job responsibilities in the Corps of Cadets.

The college has several special units that are supervised by federal ROTC units. The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AROTC) detachment contains the Norwich Artillery Battery,[15] the Norwich Ranger Company, the Ranger Challenge team, and the Mountain Cold Weather Company. The NROTC detachment sponsors a chapter of the Semper Fidelis Society and Golden Anchor Society.

The College of Graduate and Continuing Studies[16] oversees the university's online graduate programs as well as six online bachelor's degree completion programs. The majority of the graduate programs are conducted on a distance learning platform, including a combined 5-year Master of Architecture program and a National Security Agency-sponsored Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.[16][17]

Norwich was ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2014 at 74th in the Regional Universities (North) category.[18]

The Cadets first fielded a football team in 1893. Among early notable moments is a 28–6 loss to Boston College at Fenway Park in 1914, the first college football game ever played at that venue. Overall, the program has appeared in seven ECAC bowl games (1984, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014) and two NCAA tournaments (2011, 2015). Norwich has produced 16 All-Americans, and has won or shared four Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) Championships (2009, 2011, 2013–shared with Gallaudet University, 2015). Six former Cadets have reached an NFL camp.

Norwich was a member of the ECFC from 2009 to 2016, and departed the league with a 46–10 record in conference games. In 2017, Norwich joined the NEWMAC as an affiliate member for football.

The Cadets' home field is Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium. The field underwent a massive renovation for the 2013 season, transitioning from grass to turf, and adding lights for night contests. Campus folklore includes a tale of a ghost of an old cavalry cadet who guards the gate to the stadium.

Norwich's most prominent football rivals include Middlebury College, Castleton University, and the United States Coast Guard Academy.Norwich also plays long-time opponent St. Lawrence University for an annual trophy. The series with Middlebury concluded after the 1991 season, after 99 contests, with the NESCAC's decision to eliminate non-conference football competition. Castleton founded their football program in 2009, and the Norwich game quickly became an intense rivalry. The Norwich/Coast Guard series (the Little Army/Navy Game) had been dormant after the 2005 game, but resumed again in 2017.

All these rivalry games involve a traveling trophy awarded to the winner:

• Norwich vs. Middlebury: The Wadsworth Trophy
• Norwich vs. Coast Guard: The Mug
• Norwich vs. Castleton: The Maple Sap Bucket
• Norwich vs. St. Lawrence: The Hoffman Cup

Women's rugby has existed at Norwich since 1985 and gained a varsity status in 2008. They won the inaugural USA Rugby Collegiate Division II National Championship in the spring of 2012 and a USA Rugby Collegiate Division 1 National Sevens Title in the fall of 2011.[20]

Men's ice hockey began play in 1909 and has become a national powerhouse. The program has won regular season conference championships in 20 of the last 22 seasons.[21] The Cadets have won four NCAA Division III Men's Ice Hockey Championship titles (2000, 2003, 2010, and 2017). The program has reached the NCAA Division III Frozen Four 13 times. Dozens of players have gone on to professional careers, and three alumni have reached the NHL (Frank Simonetti, Keith Aucoin, Kurtis McLean).

In 2007–08 Norwich women's ice hockey was elevated to varsity status. A year later, the Cadets won their first-ever ECAC East conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey tournament. They have won 8 conference championships, and have reached 7 final fours. Norwich won the program's first NCAA Division III title in 2011, and won again in 2018.[22]

Women's lacrosse program gained varsity status in 2008. They won 3 consecutive Great Northeast Athletic Conference Titles (2010, 2011, 2012), advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament each time.

Rifle team won the national intercollegiate rifle championship in 1916[23] and 1920. It is no longer a sport at the school.

Rifle (2): 1916, 1920

Women's Rugby (6): 2011 Division I Sevens (USA Rugby), 2012 Division II 15s (USA Rugby), 2012 Division I Sevens (USA Rugby), 2013 Division I Sevens (USA Rugby), 2013 Division I 15s (ACRA), 2014 Division I Sevens (ACRA)[24]

Men's Hockey (4): 2000, 2003, 2010, 2017

Women's Hockey (2): 2011, 2018

Drill Team: 2009

138 graduates of Norwich University have served as general officers in the U.S. armed forces: 102 Army generals, 12 Air Force generals, 9 Marine Corps generals, and 16 Navy admirals. 26 graduates served as generals in foreign armies: 9 Royal Thai Army generals, 1 Royal Thai Air Force general, and 16 Republic of China Army generals.[25][26]

Among the notable military graduates and former students of Norwich are:

• Major General Fred Thaddeus Austin (1888), U.S. Army Chief of Field Artillery from 1927 to 1930[27]
• Brigadier General Hiram Iddings Bearss (attended 1894–1895) – Received the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Philippine–American War[28]
• Major General Francis William Billado (1933) – Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard from 1955 to 1966.[29]
• Lieutenant General Edward H. Brooks (1916) – Commander, VI Armored Corps, 1944–1945, during World War II; commanding general, U.S. Army in the Caribbean, 1947; commanding general, Second Army, 1951.[30]
• Captain James Montross Burt (1939) – Received the Medal of Honor for his actions during a 10-day period in October 1944 as the 2nd Armored Division fought to capture Aachen, Germany in the Battle of Aachen during World War II.[31]
• Master Chief Petty Officer Edward C. Byers, Jr. – Navy SEAL, Medal of Honor recipient[32]
• Captain George Musalas "Colvos" Colvocoresses (1831) – Commanded USS Saratoga during the American Civil War.[33]
• Rear Admiral George Partridge Colvocoresses (1866) – Commandant of Cadets at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis from 1905–1909.[34]
• Rear Admiral George A. Converse (1863) – Notable naval engineer; Chief of the Bureaus of Equipment, Ordnance, and Navigation.[35]
• Major General Reginald M. Cram (1936) – Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard in 1966, and from 1967 to 1981[36]
• Admiral of the Navy George Dewey (attended 1852–1854) – Commanded the Navy's Asiatic Squadron at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War.[37]
• Major General Grenville M. Dodge (1851) – Commander, Department of the Missouri; Chief Engineer of Union Pacific during construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Dodge City, Kansas is named in his honor.[38]
• Major General Donald E. Edwards (1959) – Adjutant General of the Vermont National Guard from 1981 to 1997.[39]
• Major General Ernest N. Harmon (attended 1914) – Commander, 1st Armored Division, 2nd Armored Division, and XXII Corps during World War II; commander, VI Corps. Twenty-second President of the University, 1950.[40]
• Brigadier General Frederick W. Lander (1852) – Surveyor of railroad routes and wagon trails in the Far West; commanded a division in the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.[41]
• Albert Martin – defender of the Alamo in 1836[42]
• Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott (attended 1937–1939) – Flew 61 combat missions during World War II in the European Theatre. In 1956 he was appointed Dean of Faculty to the Air Force Academy. In 1959 President Eisenhower appointed him the first Permanent Dean of Faculty and promoted him to Brigadier General.[43]
• Brigadier General Robert H. Milroy (1843) – In command or present at the Union reverses of the Battle of McDowell, Battle of Cross Keys, and Battle of Second Winchester.[44]
• Major General Lewis Samuel Partridge (1838) – Nephew of Alden Partridge, Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia from 1852–1854.[45]
• Rear Admiral Hiram Paulding (class of 1822) – Commander of the Navy's Home Squadron, 1856–1858; Commandant of the New York Navy Yard[46]
• Sergeant Major Thomas Payne (Class of 2017)- U.S. Army Delta Force Commando who received the Medal of Honor for operations against ISIS in Iraq in 2012.
• 1st Lieutenant James Ezekiel Porter (attended 1863–1864) – Officer in the 7th Cavalry from 1869 to 1876; killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.[47]
• Lieutenant General David E. Quantock (1980) – Inspector General of the United States Army.[48]
• Brigadier General Thomas E. G. Ransom (attended 1848–1850) – general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. At various times, he commanded divisions of XIII, XVI and XVII Corps.[49]
• Brigadier General Edmund Rice (1859) – Received the Medal of Honor for actions at the Battle of Gettysburg.[50]
• Major General William Huntington Russell (1828) – Commander of Connecticut state militia during the American Civil War; founder of the Skull and Bones society at Yale University.[51]
• Colonel Thomas O. Seaver (1859) – Commanded the 3rd Vermont Infantry during the American Civil War; received the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Spotsylvania.[52]
• General Gordon R. Sullivan (1959) – Army Chief of Staff, 1991–1995.[53]
• Commander James H. Ward (1823) – First Commandant of the United States Naval Academy; first Union Naval officer killed in action during the American Civil War.[54]
• Gideon Welles (1826) – United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861–1869.[55]
• Major General Seth Williams (1903) – Quartermaster General of the Marine Corps 1937–1944.[56]
• Brigadier General Edward Bancroft Williston (1856) – Received the Medal of Honor for heroism at Trevilian Station during the Civil War.[57]
• Major General Leonard F. Wing Sr. (attended 1910–1914) – Commander, 43rd Infantry Division during World War II.[58]
• Brigadier General Henry Clay Wood (1856) – Received the Medal of Honor for Distinguished Gallantry at the Battle of Wilson’s Creek, Missouri, on August 10, 1861.[59]
• Major General Horatio G. Wright (attended 1834–1836) – Commander of the VI Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War; Chief of Engineers for the Army; Chief Engineer for the completion of the Washington Monument.[60]

• Charles J. Adams 1939 – Vermont Attorney General[61]
• F. Elliott Barber, Jr. 1934 – Vermont Attorney General[62]
• Alvan E. Bovay 1841 – Co-founder of Republican Party and of Ripon College[63][64]
• Thomas Bragg 1828 – Governor of North Carolina from 1855 to 1859, US Senator from North Carolina 1859 to 1861 and 2nd Attorney General of the Confederate States.[65]
• Ansel Briggs 1820 – First Governor of Iowa[66]
• Francis K. Brooks 1967 – Majority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives and member of the Vermont Senate[67]
• George E. Bryant 1854 – member of the Wisconsin State Senate[68]
• James KP Chamberlin (NU 1856–1858) – Appointed to the Nebraska State Supreme Court in 1887[69]
• Thomas Green Clemson 1824 – US Ambassador to Belgium and founder of Clemson University[70]
• George W. Clinton 1827 – Mayor of Buffalo, son of DeWitt Clinton.[71]
• John P. Connarn 1941 – Vermont House of Representatives, 1957–1965; Vermont Attorney General, 1965–1967; Judge, Vermont District Court, 1967–1985[72]
• Tarak Nath Das, 1908 – Indian freedom fighter, co-founder of the Ghadar Party, expelled for his anti-British political activities[73]
• Charles D. Drake 1825 – United States Senator from Missouri.[74]
• Ryland Fletcher 1824 – Governor of Vermont.[75]
• Colonel Ernest Willard Gibson 1894 – U.S. Senator from Vermont.[76]
• Colonel Ernest W. Gibson, Jr. 1923 – U.S. Senator from 1940 to 1941. Later the Governor of Vermont from 1946 to 1950.[77]
• Jason R. Holsman 2003 – State Senator for the 7th District of Missouri.[78]
• William Pitt Kellogg 1848 – Chief Justice of the Nebraska Territory (1861) Elected to the Senate from Louisiana in 1868; governor of that state in 1873; and left office with the end of Reconstruction 1877. Returning to the Senate in 1877–1895. one of the few carpetbagger politicians to remain in power in the South post-Reconstruction.[79]
• Colin Kenny 1966 – Adviser to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau from 1970 to 1979, appointed to the Senate of Canada by Trudeau in 1984 for the province of Ontario.[80]
• Jefferson P. Kidder 1834 – 17th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, United States Congressman for the Dakota Territory, and a justice of territorial Supreme Court.[81]
• William Little Lee 1842 – Lawyer and privy counselor to Kamehameha III of Hawaii, later served as the Kingdom's chief justice from 1848 to his death in 1857.[82][83]
• Caleb Lyon 1841 – Governor of the Idaho Territory from 1864 to 1865 and Member of the 33rd United States Congress from 1853–1855.[84][85]
• Horatio Seymour 1828 – Governor of New York, 1868 Democratic nominee for President of the United States.[86]
• Charles A. Plumley 1896 – Served in United States Congress from January 16, 1934, to January 3, 1951 as U.S. Representative from Vermont.[87]
• Paul N. Poirier 1970 – Majority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives.[88]
• Edward Stanly 1829 – Whig politician and orator who served the State of North Carolina in the Congress from 1837 to 1843 and again from 1847 to 1853.[89]
• Burleigh F. Spalding 1877 – Served as a United States Representative from North Dakota from 1899 to 1901 and again from 1903 to 1905. Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court from 1908 to 1915.[90]
• Gideon Welles 1826 – Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869[91]

• Harry Bates Thayer – President from 1919 to 1925 and Chairman of the Board of AT&T until 1928[92]

• Theodore Sedgwick 1826 – United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.[93]

• Major General Grenville Dodge 1850 – Civil War General, US Congressman and later Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad. Dodge City, KS is named in his honor.[94]
• Samuel T. Wellman 1866 – American steel industry pioneer, industrialist, and prolific inventor. Wellman was also president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers from 1901 to 1902.[95]
• William Rutherford Mead – Joined with Charles Follen McKim and Stanford White to form McKim, Mead, and White in 1879. Associated with the City Beautiful and Beaux Arts movements, McKim, Mead, and White designed the Rhode Island State House, the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University, the New York Pennsylvania Station and the West Wing of the White House.[96]
• Richard E. Hayden 1968 – acoustics researcher, won the Wright Brothers Medal in 1973 for a research paper on noise reduction for STOL aircraft[97]

• Arlie Pond 1888–1890 – Major league pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles from 1895–1898[98]
• Frank Liebel 1941 – Professional football player 1942–1948 with the New York Giants and Chicago Bears.[99]
• Allen Doyle 1971 – Golfer on the Champions Tour. 2005 & 2006 US Senior Open Champion. 1999 Senior PGA Champion.[100]
• Frank Simonetti 1984 – Professional American ice hockey player with the Boston Bruins from 1984–1988.[101]
• Mike Thomas Brown 2000 – Academic All-American wrestler; Professional Mixed Martial Artist,[102] former WEC Featherweight Champion with his victory over Urijah Faber in November 2008,[103] current UFC Featherweight.[104]
• Keith Aucoin 2001 – Professional American ice hockey player.[105][106]
• Kurtis McLean 2005 – Professional Canadian ice hockey player[107]
• Amanda Conway 2020 – professional ice hockey player with the Connecticut Whale[108]

• Roxane Gay — writer and professor
• Frederick Townsend Ward 1853 (non-graduate) – American soldier of fortune famous for his military victories for Imperial China during the Taiping Rebellion.[109]
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael Mori 1991 – Marine Corps officer and lawyer of Guantanamo Bay detainee David Matthew Hicks, aka Abu Muslim al-Austraili. Received the American Civil Liberties Union's Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty Award in 2005.
• Major Richard W. Higgins- USAF pilot serving in Germany decorated by the Luftwaffe for saving civilians in an accident.[110]
• Bill W 1917 – co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Was recognized by Time Magazine as being in the top 20 persons of the Time 100: Heroes and Icons in the 20th century.[111]
• Marjorie Welish – Poet, author, artist and art critic.[112]

The presidents of Norwich University include:[113]

• Paul A. Chase, professor of military science (1944–1946), Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court[114]
• Jay H. Gordon, Professor of Accounting[115]
• Alonzo Jackman, professor and librarian.[116]
• Leon Kromer, commandant of cadets from 1941 to 1943[117]
• Steven E. Sodergren, Professor of History and Chairman of the Department of History and Political Science[118]
• Frank Tompkins, Professor of Military Science and tactics 1910, commandant of cadets 1910–1913, 1916–1917, 1919, 1923[119]
• Mitchell Yockelson, Professor of Military History[120]