The Ross Volunteer Company (commonly known as the Ross Volunteers or the RVs) is the military escort of the

governor of Texas The governor of Texas heads the state government of Texas. The governor is the leader of the executive and legislative branch of the state government and is the commander in chief of the Texas Military. The current governor is Greg Abbott, who ...

and a unit of the

Texas A&M Corps of Cadets The Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets (often The Corps of Cadets, or simply the Corps) is a student military organization at Texas A&M University. Established with the university in 1876, it is the oldest student organization on campus. Student ...

History

Establishment and early history

The Ross Volunteers were established as a military drill team at

Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...

in 1887 under the name Scott Volunteers, honoring Col. T.M. Scott, the university's business manager. In 1891 the name of the unit was changed to the Ross Volunteers in honor of university president Lawrence Sullivan Ross, and later changed to the Foster Guards, and then the Houston Rifles, reflecting the names of Ross' successors. In 1905 the name was permanently set as the Ross Volunteers.

Later history

The unit was dormant during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

but was reactivated in 1948. Among its first public engagements following its reconstitution was to escort Governor of Texas

Beauford Jester Beauford Halbert Jester (January 12, 1893 – July 11, 1949) was an American politician who was the 36th governor of Texas, serving from 1947 until his death in office in 1949. He is the only Texas governor ever to have died in office. Jester ...

and General Jonathan Wainwright to that year's Texas A&M vs University of Texas

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

game; the bearing and discipline of the unit was remarked upon by Wainwright. In 1950 the unit was named military escort to the governor of Texas, a role it continues to perform. In 1985, the Ross Volunteers were opened to female participation following a federal court order. During the

state funeral of George H. W. Bush On November 30, 2018, George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died from vascular Parkinson's disease at his home in Houston, Texas. Bush was the first former U.S. president to die in nearly 12 years since Gerald Ford in late ...

, the Ross Volunteers formed the guard of honor during the removal of the casket from Bush's funeral train upon its arrival in

College Station, Texas College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East-Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley, towards the eastern edge of the region known as the Texas Triangle. It is northwest of Houston and east-northeast of Austin. ...

. The Ross Volunteers are the oldest cadet organization in existence at Texas A&M University, though the now defunct Stephen F. Austin Literary Society and the Calliopean Literary Society were founded earlier.

Uniforms

Since inception, the uniform of the Ross Volunteers has consisted of white trousers and blouses with gold trim, worn with peaked hats. Officers wear a distinctive, crimson waist sash.

Organization

The unit is broken into three of the following platoons based on height: *Tree Platoon *Meatball Platoon *Squat Platoon Each platoon is further subdivided into four squads.

Notable personnel

Andrew Davis Bruce Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Andrew Davis Bruce (September 14, 1894 – July 28, 1969) was an American academic and soldier who served as the third List of Presidents of the University of Houston, president of the Univer ...

, 3rd President of the University of Houston *

Pat Olsen Carl Edwin "Pat" Olsen (August 3, 1902 May 11, 2000) was an American engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He played college baseball at Texas A&M University and was briefly with the New York Yankees organization. He founded a manufacturing ...

, engineer and namesake of

Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park is a baseball stadium in College Station, Texas, that is home to the Texas A&M baseball program. The stadium was dedicated on March 21, 1978, and is named in honor of C. E. "Pat" Olsen, a 1923 graduate of Texas A& ...

. * Russell Huebner * Tyson Voelkel, President of the

Texas A&M Foundation Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, Tex ...

and Corps Commander from 1995-1996. * Brigadier General Jake Betty, Commander of the Texas State Guard from 2014-2017.

Ross Volunteer Association

Due to the efforts of RV alumni such as General Jake Betty and Colonel Byron Stebbins, the Ross Volunteer Association (RVA) was established in 2009 to support the RVs.

Notes

References

{{reflist, 2 Texas A&M University Military units and formations established in 1887 Ceremonial units and formations 1887 establishments in Texas Governor of Texas