Capt. John Tipton is SIUE’s First ROTC Hall of Fame Member
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville announced that the late Captain John E. Tipton will be the first inductee from SIUE to the United States Army ROTC Hall of Fame. The enshrinement will take place in the Morris University Center Goshen Lounge at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 13 and also serve as celebration of the Army ROTC’s 100th anniversary.
“Captain Tipton is remembered by those who served with him as a dedicated individual, an outstanding leader and a consummate professional,” said Lt. Col. Scott Reed, SIUE professor of military science. “The care of his soldiers was always his highest priority. He always went the extra distance to ensure his soldiers were taken care of. He left a lasting impression about what true leadership entails.”
A Granite City native, Tipton enlisted in the U.S. Army directly from high school in 1989 and served in Operation Desert Storm. He later enrolled in SIUE’s Army ROTC program, where he continued his exemplary service and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate before becoming an infantry officer in the Army.
Tipton served as Company Commander of the Alpha Company and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division based in Fort Riley, Kansas. In September 2003, he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On May 2, 2004, an explosion fatally wounded Tipton.
The Capt. John E. Tipton Graduate Student Endowed Scholarship in Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona arose from his life of service, generosity, fortitude and leadership. The scholarship is awarded to students who exemplify the characteristics of excellence in academics, scholarship and extracurricular activities embodied by Tipton.
“Captain Tipton continues to touch the lives of the individuals with whom he came into contact,” Reed said. “His selfless service, character and sense of duty left an enduring legacy for those in the Army ROTC to live up to.”
About the Army ROTC
For 100 years, the Army ROTC has provided the nation with the right leaders at the right time, yielding visionary leaders such as Walmart founder Sam Walton, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Students are derived from over 1,200 academic institutions around the nation, contributing to maintaining as Officer Corps that is full representative of the rich diversity of American society. With its merit-based scholarship program, Army ROTC makes dreams of a college education a reality for thousands of families annually. It has commissioned more than 600,000 officers in its proud history.
