"Texas A&M is writing its own history in the blood
of its graduates."—Gen. Douglas MacArthur, 1942
Texas A&M's Corps of Cadets has shaped the traditions that
mark the rich heritage of one of the nation's largest univer-
sities. Keepers of the Spirit traces the history of
the Corps from its founding at the land-grant Agricultural
and Mechanical College of Texas on the banks of the Brazos
River to its entry into the twenty-first century.
From shaky early years that saw rugged conditions, constant
administrative turnover, and financial difficulties, Texas
A&M and its Corps grew into what they are today. In the twen-
tieth century the Corps gained national recognition as its
graduates performed courageously in World Wars I and II,
Korea, and Vietnam. And the Corps remains one of the largest
uniformed organizations of military cadets in the nation,
next only to the federal service academies. Offering commiss-
ions in all branches of the armed services, Texas A&M since
1876 has produced more than 43,000 commissioned officers, of
whom more than 225 have reached the rank of general or flag
officer.
Skillfully integrating contemporary political, social, and
cultural elements, John A. Adams, Jr., has analyzed hundreds
of primary source documents to shed historical light on the
values, customs, and controversies that have shaped the
Corps's 125-year history: the Southern military tradition
of duty, honor, and sacrifice; the struggle to integrate
veterans returning from both world wars into campus—and Corps—
life; the admission of women into the university and into the
Corps; and the evolution of the Corps into a voluntary, rather
than mandatory, part of an expanding and diversifying
university.
Keepers of the Spirit contains dozens of photographs never
before published, as well as comprehensive lists of key people
and events in Corps history. Published in conjunction with the
125th anniversary of the University, Adams's work dramatically
and entertainingly details Texas A&M's and the Corps's contribut-
ion to America's long tradition of well-educated and well-prepared
citizen soldiers.
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JOHN A. ADAMS, JR., Class of '73, knows his subject from the in-
side out, holding three degrees, including a doctorate in history,
from Texas A&M University, where he himself was a member of the
Corps. He is the author of two other books on the university's
history, Softly Call the Muster: The Evolution of a Texas Aggie
Tradition, and We Are the Aggies: The Texas A&M University
Association of Former Students. Adams won the 1990 T. R.
Fehrenbach Book Award for excellence in Texas history for his
Damming the Colorado: The Rise of the Lower Colorado River
Authority, 1933–1939. He lives in Orlando, Florida.
Number Eighty-nine: Centennial Series of the Association of
Former Students, Texas A&M University
Winner of the 2002 Western Books Exhibition Award of Merit given by The Rounce & Coffin Club
