Penn College News

New scholarship to benefit contracted ROTC students

Thursday, February 18, 2021

An endowed scholarship established at Pennsylvania College of Technology will offer financial support to the college’s full-time, contracted Army ROTC students.

The Major General Fred Marty Scholarship will benefit the growing number of Penn College ROTC cadets earning Army officer commissions from the Bald Eagle Battalion, which also serves students at Lock Haven and Mansfield universities and Lycoming College.

The scholarship honors the same man whose name graces the Major General Fred F. Marty Veterans & Military Resource Center at Penn College, which provides a place for veteran and active-duty military students to gather, collaborate, study and discuss their military benefits with campus mentors.



ROTC students enter into a contract and commit to completing their bachelor’s degrees, attending Advanced Camp and living the Army’s core values. Upon graduation, they are commissioned as second lieutenants and commit to four years of active duty or eight years in the Army Reserve or National Guard. In addition to their regular college activities and coursework, ROTC cadets take classes in military science and leadership, meet conditioning requirements through physical training, and participate in at least one field exercise each semester.

Marty earned his own commission through Army ROTC at Southwest Missouri State College. His three decades of military service included two tours of duty in Vietnam and four in Germany commanding field artillery units at every echelon from battery through corps artillery. Before retiring in 1993, he served as commanding general of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, serving concurrently as commandant of the U.S. Field Artillery School and as the Army’s chief of field artillery. He was highly decorated throughout his military career, receiving numerous commendations including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army’s highest peacetime award.

Marty commenced a second career in public service, largely focused on higher education, as vice president for administrative services at his growing alma mater, the since-renamed Missouri State University, and later as chancellor of the university’s West Plains campus.

Subsequently, Marty served as executive director for the Generations Sports Complex near Pennsdale, as Lycoming County’s director of administration/chief clerk and as deputy city manager for Springfield, Missouri.

In November, eight Pennsylvania College of Technology students were awarded scholarships recognizing their academic achievement, leadership skills and commitment as Army ROTC cadets. Last May, six Penn College seniors were among eight Bald Eagle Battalion Army ROTC cadets commissioned as second lieutenants.

For more about the support offered to veteran and military students at Penn College, visit the Admissions Office.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.