Collegiate Times

Many current Virginia Tech students have traveled hundreds of miles from 40 different states to attend this university. However, their arrival by car or plane is a far cry from the mode of transportation used by Virginia Tech?s first student William Addison Caldwell.

?William Addison Caldwell marched 26 miles from Craig County to Blacksburg to be Virginia Tech?s first enrolled student,? said Allan Miller, university editor for University Relations.

Caldwell enrolled at the age of 16 at the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, the commonwealth?s new land grant institution that would eventually become Virginia Tech in 1872.

By November of 1872, 60 students had enrolled, including Caldwell?s brother Mic.

Caldwell paid $30 tuition along with five-dollar-a-month rent. He graduated with the college?s second graduating class in 1876, having taken an extra year to complete the three-year program.

However, his infamous trek is what he garners his fame from.

Each year to commemorate the journey of Caldwell, the freshman class of the corps of cadets, along with their training chain of command, completes a 26-mile march broken into two parts.

Phase I of the march occurs at the end of the Red Phase of new cadet training. At this stage, approximately six weeks into the school year, the cadets have learned most of the basic skills they will need throughout their time in the corps.

Phase II of the march takes place between the White and Blue Phases. The second half of the march is supposed to be strenuous, in order to test the physical abilities of the cadets. It also serves as a right of passage into a new phase. As in the Blue Phase, cadet?s enjoy increased privileges and responsibilities in the corps.

In addition to the recognition of Caldwell given by the corps, the class of 1956 has decided to sponsor the erection of a statue of Caldwell. The life-sized, bronze cast statue, which took a year to complete, was unveiled Oct. 3 and is located in front of Brodie Hall.

?Each year at a class? 50th anniversary reunion, they donate a gift to the university,? said Andy Hall, the assistant vice president for Alumni Relations. ?Usually this gift is in the form of some sort of scholarship, but the class of 1956, in addition to a scholarship, was presented with the idea for this statue. They believed it was a good idea and decided to fund the project as part of their contribution to the university.?

Larry Bechtel, the recycling coordinator at Tech and the statue?s sculptor, came up with the idea for the Caldwell statue when he was asked to present a proposal for the class of 1956?s gift.

?The class of 1956 came to me looking for a project for their reunion. After reading a story about William Caldwell, I thought that it would make a great sculpture. I presented them the idea and they agreed,? Bechtel said. ?The story is just an idea and a symbol of what a university is.?

The statue will be formerly dedicated on Oct. 20 at 3 p.m. at the class of 1956 reunion.