The Citadel has graduated 33,267 from The South Carolina Corps of Cadets during the years 1846-2019. For 17 years following the War Between the States, the college was occupied by federal troops and thus had no graduating classes from 1866-1885 the classes of 1853, 1858, and 1898 did not graduate as well and there were only two graduates in the Class of 1944 because of the call to arms during WWII. It is estimated that an additional 22,000 alumni have attended for the freshman (Knob) academic year, but were called to duty for their nation/state’s defense while a cadet, or otherwise departed under honorable circumstances without graduating*. Below is a listing of some of the more notable of these Citadel alumni achievements.
13 U.S. Congressmen [List] 6 State Governors [List] 3 U.S. Senators [List]
8 U.S. Ambassadors [List] 28 Fulbright Scholars [List]
5 "Ace's" [List] 4 U.S. Navy Blue Angels [List] 5 USAF Thunderbirds [List]
319 Flag Officers [List]
41 College Presidents/Chancellors/Superintendents at 46 Institutions [List]
1 Astronaut [List] 6 Episcopal Bishops [List]
22 Distinguished Service Cross recipients for extraordinary heroism [List]
9 Navy Cross recipients, 10 awards for extraordinary heroism [List]
4 Alumni won BOTH the Navy Cross & DSC
2 Medal of Honor Recipients [List]
34 Three-Star Generals/1 Vice Admiral [List] 1 Army Chief of Staff [List]
4-time National Champions, Rifle, 1939, 1953, 1963, 1965
6 Four-Star Generals [List] 58 1st Team All-Americans 10 Adjutant Generals [List]
6 Four-Star Generals/Royal Thai Armed Forces [List]
The entire Corps of Cadets engaged Union forces in the Battle of Tulfinny Creek December 8,1864 and suffered eight casualties, thus earning one of its nine authorized battle streamers.
The Citadel currently commissions more officers into our armed forces at commencement than any college in the US (exception: national service academies)
*The Citadel Graduate College, numbering approximately 9,500 graduates is in the process of accumulating data for inclusion in the above listing. One of its more well- known graduates, Ms. Lu Parker, 1992, was crowned Miss USA in 1994.