New Mexico Military Institute

Located in Roswell, New Mexico, the New Mexico Military Institute offers a rich history and tradition of educating tomorrow’s leaders through a program of strong, challenging academics, leadership preparation, and character development. Known as “The West Point of the West,” NMMI remains the only state-supported co-educational college preparatory high school and junior college in the United States. Serving the educational needs of an international student population, the Institute has strict admissions standards that yearly result in an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students who come from 36 states, 2 US territories (Puerto Rico and American Samoa), and 33 foreign nations.

NMMI grants High School diplomas and Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. The Institute’s emphasis on qualities of honor, integrity, and responsibility, contributes to its unique educational philosophy.

Leadership training is provided to all cadets at the college level, through the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program, and at the high school level through the Junior ROTC program. The ROTC Program offers college cadets the opportunity to receive a commission in the U.S. Army through the 2-Year Early Commissioning Program. Cadets may pursue commissions in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marines through the Service Academy Preparatory Program.

NMMI graduates prove successful in every field of endeavor, business, industry, public service, education, the professions, or careers in the military. Surveys of graduating classes show consistently that 95 percent of NMMI graduates go on to complete a four-year degree at outstanding schools such as Penn State, Stanford, Rice, Cornell, University of Texas, Arizona State University, University of Colorado, and the nation’s Service Academies.

As an institution of higher and secondary education, the Institute has the mission of enabling individual development through challenging academic preparation in a structured learning environment that affords extensive opportunities for leadership and character development. In support of this mission, the Institute’s treatment of all cadets places key value on trust, student knowledge, integrity, service and responsibility all within the framework of an Honor Code stating that “a cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do.”

In 1889, Isaac Hamilton Rapp traveled west to Trinidad, Colorado to set up his first architectural practice with C.W. Bulger, specializing in public buildings. The firm dissolved after a few years. Rapp’s brother, William Morris, arrived in 1892 when they established the firm I.H. & W.M. Rapp Co. In 1909, A.C. Hendrickson joined the firm, creating the partnership I.H. & W.M. Rapp and A.C. Hendrickson. The three partners secured a firm foothold in Trinidad, resulting in numerous commissions for Trinidad’s major commercial structures, including the Las Animas County Courthouse, and the first National Bank of Trinidad. The commercial success of the firm extended beyond southeastern Colorado to Las Vegas and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and continuing south to the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. Later, Rapp’s architectural aesthetic made a dramatic evolution through a personal interest in New Mexico’s southwestern vernacular. In 1913, the impetus for Santa Fe to establish an architectural style directed toward enlivening local culture and generating tourism created recognition for Rapp. Among his prominent Santa Fe buildings are the New Mexico Museum of Fine Art, and the La Fonda Hotel, both exemplifying characteristics of the Spanish Pueblo Revival Style, including warm earthen colors, thick adobe walls, and sculptural, horizontal lines. Rapp’s contributions to Santa Fe architecture precede that of John Gaw Meem, who arrived four years after his retirement, and became Rapp’s major successor.

At NMMI, we value excellence in leadership, academics, and physical development. Our values are institutionalized and operationalized through a set of guiding principles that impact every aspect of our organizations and processes. These include:

• The only state-supported, nationally accredited coeducational military boarding school in the nation offering an integrated four-year college preparatory high school and university parallel transferable junior college.
• A Corps of Cadets comprised of every student led by the cadet chain of command and who participate in the Army ROTC Leadership Programs ensuring leadership opportunities for every cadet.
• A totally integrated high school and college learning environment in which a single consolidated faculty and staff support a six-year seamless high school and junior college experience enabling junior college and high school students to take college courses together.
• A Corps of Cadets that lives by an Honor Code adopted and administered by the cadets.
• An academic institution with rigorous academic and admissions standards and a safe secure campus.
• A close relationship with the military services through the federal service academy preparatory and voluntary early commissioning programs.
• An exceptionally well-qualified staff and faculty committed to working in a unique academic and military structured environment.
• A cadet corps-wide physical development program.