Army Materiel Command's Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via speaks to South Carolina State University cadets prior to a commissioning ceremony. Throughout his tenure, Via has made it a priority to speak to ROTC cadets about Army leadership. He commissioned ...

FORT KNOX, Ky. -- Army Materiel Command's Commander Gen. Dennis L. Via was one of only three active duty four-star generals inducted into Cadet Command's inaugural Army ROTC National Hall of Fame.

As the Army ROTC program marked its 100th anniversary, 326 of its graduates were awarded the honor during a ceremony here, June 10.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Hughes, commander of U.S. Army Cadet Command and Fort Knox, hosted the ceremony, noting he was humbled to learn about the history of each inductee and their accomplishments.

"When I opened the first folder, I was awestruck... It was then that it dawned on me the significance of today -- I was about to sign the certificate to induct Gen. George C. Marshall into the ROTC National Hall of Fame," he said. "The more I read, the more I signed, I realized each of you and your families are doing everything that I would ever dare ask you to do -- that is exactly why you are our founding class of the ROTC National Hall of Fame."

Selecting those to be honored by inclusion in the National Hall of Fame was no simple task. The academic institutions that partner with Army ROTC played a key role in the nomination process. The careers and accomplishments of each nominee were scrutinized to ensure their achievements fully merited the recognition.

Via was nominated by his alma mater, Virginia State University, where he received his commission in 1980. Via credits VSU with two events that shaped his life. The first was meeting the ROTC recruiting officer. The second was meeting his wife, Linda.

Serving as the keynote speaker, retired Gen. Carter Ham, former commander of the U.S. Africa Command, reflected on the impact ROTC graduates have made across the Army.

"We are simply 326 representatives of 650,000 Army ROTC graduates -- examples of what ROTC has done for our Army and for our nation for 100 years," Ham said. "Officers commissioned through ROTC bring a depth and breadth of experiences to the ranks which make the Army stronger."

Army ROTC has produced two chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and seven officers who have risen to become Army Chief of Staff since its establishment in 1916. Two former secretaries of state, a sitting Supreme Court justice and a female astronaut are also numbered among the graduates of the program. Countless others in virtually every profession proudly point to Army ROTC as the place where they got their start. With that sort of legacy, Army ROTC arguably can be said to have had a lasting impact on virtually all elements of American society.

Cadet Command is the parent organization of the Army ROTC program. The program produces over 70 percent of the new officers entering the Army each year and is available through nearly 1,000 college campuses nationwide. Nearly 30,000 college-level students are enrolled in the program.

Cadet Command also oversees the operation of more than 1,700 Army Junior ROTC programs at America's high schools. Over 300,000 high school students are enrolled in that program -- which fosters leadership and citizenship skills in the nation's youth.