Controversy
Ruckman's life was not without controversy. Although he ranked high in his graduating class, he was held back one year at West Point for laughing during artillery drills and "in other inappropriate places." In 1896, he suggested that a regiment of soldiers in Cleveland, Ohio, be abolished because of its relationship to prostitutes. In his 1915 Naval War College thesis, Ruckman called for universal military service and the education of "all boys and young men" in the use of firearms. He also recommended strict guidelines for the content of history texts in schools and colleges. Ruckman served as Commander of the Southern Department in the direct aftermath of the Houston Riot (1917) and, although his decision-making was supported by Woodrow Wilson (in a public statement), it was scrutinized in the congressional Military Justice Hearings of 1919. In 1918, he distributed a scathing circular to members of the Texas State legislature and lobbied on behalf of a bill that would ban the teaching of German in public schools. In 1920, Ruckman engaged in a very public dispute with Charles W. Eliot (Harvard) regarding the quality of military education in the United States. In 1921, Ruckman suggested (in a public speech) that immigrants be required to serve for a period of time in the military in order to enhance the "Americanization" process. He also made national headlines that year by refusing to allow soldiers under his command to march in Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade (a decision supported by the Secretary of War).
Read more about this topic: John Wilson Ruckman
Famous quotes containing the word controversy:
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