April 6, 2026

April 6, 1997: Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Park opened. The baseball park was named for Charleston's longest-serving mayor, Joseph P. Riley, Jr., '64, and is the home field for The Citadel Bulldogs Baseball, who beat Western Carolina University 6-5 in the first game there. citadelsports.com/facilities/joseph-p-riley-jr-park/1

Happy National Tartan Day! "A variation of the Earl of St. Andrew's plus yellow and red stripes. woven by D.C. Dalgliesh in 1980 for this very old South Carolina Military Academy. Tartan said to have been 'arranged' by Otis C. Johnston, Jr. The designer was possibly the head of the Citadel Piping School at that time – one Ludovic Grant-Alexander (info Bob Martin November 2003). Swatch in Scottish Tartans Authority's Johnston Collection. Full name as detailed on woven swatch 'Citadel Military Institute of South Carolina'. The Academy commonly known as "The Citadel" is at Charleston, South Carolina, founded 1842. The Pipe Band was established in 1955 by General Mark W. Clark then President of the Academy at that time. The tartan was not agreed until 1979 under the guidence of Col. William F. Prioleau Jr. The design is that of the Earl of St Andrews with an alternate gold and red over check to suggest bravery and excellence" – tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=652 Visit Olde School Blazers for you Citadel Tartan needs: oldeschoolblazer.com/schools/citadel/

On April 5, 1902, Mark Twain briefly visited Charleston, attending the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition in Hampton Park, for about six hours.

Today is Gold Star Spouses Day, a day to remember the loved ones of military service members who died while serving our country. Please join us in thanking them for their sacrifices.

On April 4, 1917, the US Senate voted to go to war with Germany and on April 6, 1917, the House of Representatives agreed, declaring war on Germany and commencing America's entry into World War I. With the approval of the Board of Visitors and Governor of South Carolina, The Citadel offered all of the college's military facilities to help train recruits. The National Defense Act had established the Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1916, and this provided Citadel Cadets and recent graduates a direct opportunity to become officers in the U.S. military. All members of the Class of 1917 entered military service upon graduation, 6 received commissions as officers in the Regular Army, and 13 received commissions as officers in the Marine Corps. Again in 1918, all members of the graduating class entered military service. Citadel graduates volunteered with Allied forces prior to America's entry into the war, were on the first American convoys that sailed off to war on June 13, 1917, and participated and distinguished themselves in most of the major battles of World War I. In all, 316 Citadel graduates served in World War I, 277 as commissioned officers. Six graduates died in the war and 17 were wounded. citadel.edu/citadel-history/brief-history/ citadeldigitalarchives.omeka.net/items/show/33

April 3, 2026

On April 3, 2022, Morris Robinson, '91, won a Grammy Award for his featured performance on the recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. laphil.com/about/watch-listen/la-phil-recordings/mahler-symphony-no-8#

April 2, 2026