Marion Military Institute (MMI) traces its origins back to 1842 with the creation of Howard College in Marion, Alabama by the Alabama Baptist Convention. From 1863 to 1865, two buildings on the Howard College campus served the Confederacy as Breckenridge Military Hospital. These were Lovelace Hall (or the Old South Barracks) which was built in 1854 and the Chapel which was built in 1857. Lovelace Hall, the Chapel and the President’s House (which was built in 1912) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
In 1887, Howard College moved to Birmingham and later became Samford University. The remaining faculty and students under President J. T. Murfee immediately reorganized as “Marion Military Institute”, a military preparatory school, junior college and secondary school.
The United States Army ROTC program was first offered at MMI in 1916, when the institute was designated as an “Honor Military School with Distinction” by the United States Department of Defense. In 1971, MMI became coeducational. The Alabama Military Hall of Honor was established in 1975. It is housed in an 1832 law office that also served as Marion’s City Hall. In March 2006, the Alabama state legislature passed a resolution placing MMI under the guidance of the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education. MMI became “The State Military College of Alabama”. As part of the transition to a public institution, Marion phased out its high school program. In May 2009, the last high school class graduated from Marion Military Institute’s Preparatory School Program, a program that traced its origins back to 1887.
MMI is located at 1101 Washington Street in Marion, AL (GPS coordinates 32.623738, -87.321351).
The slider at the top contains six photographs with captions.
Source: Wikipedia