Spring/Summer 2025
Naval R.O.T.C. Scholarship Fund Inc.
By Tony Fessler, NU Class of 1970
As 2025 advances, the Scholarship Board remains focused on its core mission of providing the greatest possible financial support to the Northwestern University based Chicago NROTC Consortium. The Northwestern University NROTC Scholarship Fund continues to support unit recruitment and retention of the most highly qualified student candidates for a second-to-none higher education and military training experience leading to commissions in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Fall Unit enrollment in 2024 increased by 72% to 31 students. This achievement is the direct result of the exceptional effort and creative outreach of Captain Edwards and his staff over the past three years. The Northwestern University NROTC Chicago Consortium has attained a prestigious position not seen for years.
Bringing the Unit to this strength has been directly supported by the efforts of alumni and friends through generous contributions to the Northwestern University NROTC Scholarship Fund. In this past year, through the continued support of our alumni and friends, eleven midshipmen in all four classes received significant financial awards to offset the rising costs of their higher education. These financial awards directly supported Captain Edwards and his superb team in their objective of building Unit strength through increases in both recruitment and retention. This collaboration has made the Northwestern University NROTC one of our nation’s very best. The command, its midshipmen, alumni and friends are deserving of the highest commendation for what has been achieved through their collaborative efforts over the past several years.
As he prepares for his retirement after 32 years of active duty, Captain Edwards, with strong support of his command team, have reported some of the remarkable achievements of our midshipmen over the past year. Midshipmen embarked on training cruises throughout the world received invaluable hands-on experience. Several summer training cruises took Unit midshipmen to Normandy for the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Other midshipmen participated in Freedom of Navigation operations in the South China Sea aboard USN warships. It is noteworthy that Captain Edwards was specifically informed that during summer at sea training, our midshipmen demonstrated exceptional dedication and proficiency far exceeding that of their peers. Our midshipmen in the South China Sea operation volunteered when others declined to qualify for a physically strenuous and personally unpleasant Ship’s Reaction Force Basic drill. Feedback on engagement by our midshipmen on other cruise assignments further substantiated the high quality of our Unit’s academic, leadership and physical training - producing young men and women fully prepared, trained and motivated for future service in the fleet.
Moreover, academic achievements of many of our midshipmen are among the best at Northwestern and the other universities in the Chicago NROTC Consortium. Several of our midshipmen were selected for foreign exchange programs in France and Austria. Our Consortium midshipmen brought home first place and third place finishes in nine events against other NROTC units showcasing the NU Unit’s competitive spirit and excellence – a credit to our Marine Lieutenant and Gunnery Sargent - and those they prepared. These are but a few of the many highlights attributed to our NROTC unit, its retiring commander, his superb Naval Science team and, in particular, the midshipmen themselves. The Scholarship Board, its supporting alumni and friends join in a loud shout out to Captain Edwards, his command staff and our Unit midshipmen – well done!
These are among the numerous outcomes which evidence the exceptional achievements of the Northwestern University based Chicago NROTC Consortium Unit. As the Scholarship Board acknowledges the unparalleled accomplishments of the Unit under the dedicated leadership of its retiring commanding officer, Unit alumni and friends are strongly encouraged to show continued support. Recent achievements in both Unit quality and quantity are no accident. The Scholarship Board believes there is no better way to acknowledge what has been achieved than maintaining and building the financial strength of our Fund. Donations to the Scholarship Fund are fully tax deductible. Fund administrative fees are de minimis and virtually all donations received are directly invested in awards to our midshipmen.
Alumni and friends can also show their support by providing the Board with any updates to contact information using the Scholarship Fund website www.nu-nrotc.org Help the Board find and communicate with alumni with whom contact has been lost. The Scholarship Fund would also welcome any background information which might be of interest on fellow shipmates and friends. Contact is also encouraged via LinkedIn by joining the Northwestern University and Loyola University Navy ROTC Alumni group at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14606758/. Finally, for anyone who has an interest in serving as a Board director or in any other capacity, expressions of interest are most welcome and may be made through the website or through an e-mail to nunrotc.scholarship@gmail.com.