New collaboration aims to instill Medal of Honor values in Corps of Cadets members
ARLINGTON, TX – The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation’s Griffin Institute is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Hollingsworth Center for Applied Leadership Studies, part of Texas A&M University’s Corps of Cadets. Through this partnership, cadets will learn about Medal of Honor recipients and how to apply their demonstrated characteristics of leadership in all aspects of life, from the battlefield to the board room.
The National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation’s Griffin Institute was founded to help educate and inspire the next generation of America’s leaders. With a curriculum featuring the stories of Medal of Honor recipients, the Griffin Institute provides opportunities to study the values represented by the Medal, including courage, commitment, integrity, patriotism, and citizenship. The Griffin Institute is part of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation and will be headquartered inside the National Medal of Honor Museum when its construction is complete in March 2025.
“In our mission to inspire and educate, partnering with the esteemed Hollingsworth Center for Applied Leadership Studies is a significant milestone,” said Chris Cassidy, President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation. “These cadets will be among the future leaders of our nation. Introducing them to the incredible stories of our Medal of Honor recipients does more than add to their academic education. It helps establish a foundation of strong character for these students, allowing them to gain an understanding of what true leadership and service entails.”
The Corps of Cadets has served as Texas A&M’s premier leadership development program for more than 145 years, where students learn to be value-adding leaders in both the public and private sector. The program relies on a cultural model structured after the military, but not all students proceed to the armed forces upon graduation. Currently, about 60 percent of cadets pursue careers outside the military when they graduate with their degrees.
“The Hollingsworth Center is deeply honored to partner with the National Medal of Honor Institute,” said Dr. Dave Keller, Director of the Hollingsworth Center. “Our mission of developing leaders of character aligns perfectly with the Institute’s mission of inspiring Americans to reach their true character and leadership potential. It’s a perfect match. Most of our non-commissioning graduates will never find themselves on a combat battlefield, but they can all selflessly serve others and live courageous lives of character in whatever career field they enter.”
The new partnership between the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation’s Griffin Institute and the Corps of Cadets will help advance the mission and values of both organizations. Initially, cadets will be eligible to receive a certificate in applied leadership studies endorsed by the Griffin Institute, as the partnership expands, additional opportunities for collaboration and mutual support will be explored.
“With eight former students among its recipients, Texas A&M has a long and proud connection to the National Medal of Honor. This new partnership builds on that connection by allowing our students to learn about the legacies of Medal recipients and use their knowledge to lead at the next level,” said Brigadier General Patrick Michaelis, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets. “What our cadets will learn through this partnership will serve them well as they pursue careers in the private and public sectors. Many of the characteristics that Medal recipients possessed can be emulated in our day-to-day interactions, and this partnership will serve as a springboard for just that.”
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About the National Medal of Honor Museum, Monument and Griffin Institute: The National Medal of Honor Museum, Monument and Griffin Institute will inspire individuals by honoring and preserving the history of the highest military decoration awarded for valor in combat.
The Museum, opening in 2025, will serve as a national landmark located in America’s heartland in Arlington, Texas, and provide an unrivaled, interactive visitor experience that commemorates the historical thread of sacrifice, patriotism, and courage that connects members of the United States military service past and present. It is the Museum’s mission to tell the stories of Medal of Honor recipients in a dynamic and interactive setting that will inspire visitors to recognize the potential for the extraordinary that resides in us all.
Through dynamic and far-reaching curriculum and programming, the National Medal of Honor Griffin Institute is bringing to life the core values inherent to the Medal of Honor in classrooms, boardrooms, and communities around the country.
In 2021, The National Medal of Honor Monument Act was signed into law, paving the way for the monument’s placement in Washington, D.C. Soon, Americans and visitors of every nation will have the opportunity to reflect on the values represented by those whose selfless and courageous actions have served to safeguard freedom and democracy the world over.
For more information please visit the National Medal of Honor Museum website or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets: Dating to 1876, the Corps of Cadets is the oldest and largest student organization at Texas A&M University. Leveraging a military based cultural model throughout the four year leadership training program, the Corps prepares cadets to lead at the community, state, and national levels and produces some of the nation’s finest leaders in the public, private and military sectors. Texas A&M is one of the few schools to offer military commissions in all branches of service with the Corps remaining one of the largest uniformed bodies of students in the nation. Membership in the Corps carries no military obligation, with over half of current cadets not pursuing a military commission.
