The Army ROTC’s Ranger Company was created in fall 1962 by then-captain John S. Daniel, who had been assigned to UT’s Army ROTC unit in 1961. Daniel had served as Ranger instructor at the Ranger Camp in Florida. With the establishment of the Ranger Company, UT became the first ROTC Ranger Program to be established at a nonmilitary institution. Its original purpose was to better prepare ROTC cadets for the conflict in Vietnam through its unique academic and physical program. Daniel selected the motto for the UT Ranger program: “Strong legs, stout hearts, fertile brains.” The Tennessee Ranger Company gave demonstrations on its scaling wall at Chilhowee Park during the Tennessee Valley Fair, and participated in numerous civic projects. Daniel, seriously wounded in Vietnam, recovered to rise to the rank of colonel and be inducted into the US Army’s Ranger Hall of Fame. In 1964 the Military Order of the Tennessee Ranger was created to perpetuate the Ranger Company.
In 1966 Seaman Harry G. Hodges was killed in Vietnam, becoming the first Tennessee Ranger cadet to be killed in action. While the US Navy provided an attachment for Seaman Hodges, the Tennessee Ranger Company provided the honor guard at his funeral.
The ROTC Ranger Challenge is an annual competition requiring superb teamwork and excellent athletic and mental abilities. Top cadets from area schools participate in a 30-hour, nonstop challenge that ultimately chooses a top team in the region.