The Citadel: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Citadel--The Military College of South Carolina is a four- year military college located in Charleston, South Carolina. It was originally founded as the South Carolina Military Academy in 1842. It is the only military school that has 9 months of training for the fourth class to get recognition, instead of the customary six weeks or six months for other military-college freshmen classes. It has a reputation for being among the most rigorous military colleges.

From www.citadel.edu: "Enrollment in The South Carolina Military Academy increased from thirty-four students in 1843 to two hundred ninety six in 1864. The $200 tuition in 1843 increased to $1,200 in 1864. When South Carolina seceded from the Union in December 1860, Major Robert Anderson moved his garrison of U.S. troops to Fort Sumter and requested reinforcements from the federal government. On January 9, 1861, Citadel cadets stationed on Morris Island fired on the U.S. steamer, the Star of the West, which failed to supply Fort Sumter with troops and supplies. This was the first overt act of the war. On January 28, 1861, the Corps of Cadets were made part of the military organization of the state and were known as The Battalion of State Cadets. The Arsenal and The Citadel continued to operate as military academies, however, classes were often disrupted when the governor called the cadets into military service. Mounting and manning heavy guns, guard duty and escorting prisoners were among the services performed by the cadets. On February 18, 1865, The Citadel ceased operation as a college when Union troops entered Charleston and occupied the site. The Arsenal was burned by Sherman's troops and never reopened."

The school's sports teams are called the Bulldogs. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-AA, and the Southern Conference.

On January 20, 1994 Shannon Faulkner, by court order, became the first female student to attend The Citadel as a member of the Corps of Cadets, but soon dropped out. Prior to this, female students were not allowed in the Corps of Cadets and were mostly limited to taking evening courses.

On May 8, 1999 Nancy Mace became the first female cadet to graduate from The Citadel.

Pat Conroy's 1980 novel The Lords of Discipline was based on Conroy's experiences as a cadet at The Citadel during the 1960s. This book highlights the brutal hazing experienced by knobs, but also shows the closeness and brotherhood that develops between the knobs as they endure taunting by upper classmen.

The Lords of Discipline was made into a movie starring David Keith and Robert Prosky in 1983.

The Citadel is a fortress in Quebec City that serves both as a military installation and as a vice-regal residence. See La Citadelle.

The Citadel is also the name of a novel by A. J. Cronin, first published in 1937 and turned into a 1938 film. It told the story of a young idealistic doctor who becomes seduced by the thought of easy money from wealthy clients, rather than the good works that he originally set out to do. Cronin draws on his own experiences as a doctor in the industrial valleys of South Wales.

The film starred Robert Donat, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Richardson, Rex Harrison and Emlyn Williams. It was written by Ian Dalrymple, Frank Wead, Elizabeth Hill and Emlyn Williams. It was directed by King Vidor, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

The book has also been adapted for television.

The Citadel was also the Vietnamese royal residence at Hué.