The Xavier Regiment has been a core facet of life on 16th Street for more than 125 years.
In 1886, the military department at the College of St. Francis Xavier emerged under the direction of the National Guard. In 1916 (four years after the college ceased operations), the National Defense Act authorized the establishment of Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps programs at U.S. high schools, offering military training for a minimum of three years. Xavier’s mandatory military program became a full-fledged JROTC unit in 1935. The United States Army sent Xavier a Professor of Military Science and Tactics (PMS&T) long before 1935, though, giving Xavier’s Regiment a great sense of prestige.
The Regiment earned Xavier renown in New York City and across the nation. Countless graduates have gone on to military academies and to serve their country in the nation's armed forces.
The JROTC program became optional for students in 1971. Today, the Regiment remains a popular educational and character formation option for Xavier students and continues to distinguish itself as one of the top JROTC units in the country—repeatedly earning the Gold Star as an honor unit with distinction.