The Wortham Military Museum at Cornell University is not a secret. But neither is it a household name. Located on the fourth floor of Barton Hall and overseen by Cornell Army ROTC, the museum was established in 1973 with a bequest from Howard Wortham, Class of 1914. Wortham was a financier appointed by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson to serve as captain in the Quartermaster Branch of the U.S. Army. He did so with high distinction and cited his Cornell military science instruction as a significant factor in his success in military and civilian life.

"Most people have no idea of the significance of Cornell's involvement in American military history," said Col. Glenn Reisweber, head of Cornell's Army ROTC.

Almost since its inception, Cornell has been a military training site and bears a distinguished record of commitment to serving the country. The Morrill Land Grant Act required universities to provide instruction in military science. But it was Cornell's first president, Andrew Dickson White -- a Civil War veteran -- who made military training mandatory for all male students, and from 1868 to 1960, that's the way it was at Cornell.

Witness the 4,598 commissioned officers Cornell provided in World War I -- more than West Point at the time. They can be seen en masse performing drills and reviews on the Arts Quad in historic photos at the Wortham.

The university's remarkable contributions to military training, instruction and active service are nowhere better displayed than in the Wortham. Exhibits include collections of military weapons and gear from World War I onward and Medal of Honor citations accompanied by stories of stunning heroics. There is an account of Lt. Col. Matt Urban '41 (who received 29 medals for valor in World War II) that describe a man whose actions under fire seem to defy the laws of nature. Urban earned seven purple hearts, the Legion of Merit, the Croix de Guerre with a Silver Star and the Medal of Honor, among other citations. He died in 1995.

Then there's the story of Brig. Gen. Robert I. Stack '23, who accepted Nazi leader Hermann Goering's surrender in May 1945. You can see it in the Wortham or read Stack's own account at http://www.kwanah.com/36division/ps/ps0277.htm.

Plans to upgrade the museum are under way, and the Army ROTC is seeking supporters for the cause.

Accompanied by historic photos and memorabilia, including the story of Frank Barton, for whom the hall is named, the museum is off the beaten path but front and center in Cornell history. To visit the Wortham, call the Cornell Army ROTC at 255-4006.