HALL OF FAME COMMITTEE
STANDING OPERATING PROCEDURES
PURPOSE
This directive is promulgated as a guide to the selection of inductees to the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame. The intent of these standing procedures is to protect the prestige of the Hall of Fame. Persons previously inducted into the Hall of Fame under what may have been less stringent guidelines and requirements are unaffected by the standards established herein.
AUTHORITY
The Hall of Fame Reviewing Body is designated by the NMMI Board of Regents. The Reviewing Body is charged with receiving and approving all nominations for the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame. The nominations will then be forwarded to the Alumni Executive Director to be submitted to the Board of Regents for approval.
GENERAL
The term alumnus, as used herein, includes the female term alumna. Similarly, the plural term alumni include all female alumnae, Status as an alumnus, regular or honorary, is a requirement for induction.
The credo of New Mexico Military Institute is the guiding principle for the selection of inductees into the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame. A strong commitment to duty, honor and achievement must be exemplified by each selectee for induction.
CATEGORIES AND CRITERIA
Category 1 — Eminence in a Chosen Field of Endeavor
Alumni, who have gained prominence, fame or have distinguished themselves by notable accomplishments in their profession or other field of endeavor.
Achievements must transcend mere success in business. Ordinarily, prominence must be recognized on a national scale. Official recognition by a national organization of professional peers, having established standards and ethical requirements, is a strong consideration.
A high recognition by a department or agency of the federal government is a strong consideration. This includes, but is not limited to, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Distinguished Intelligence Cross or the Distinguished Intelligence Medal of the CIA or their equivalent in other agencies.
Category 2 — Distinguished Service to New Mexico Military Institute
Alumni who, through their dedicated and outstanding service and devotion to NMMI served in positions of high responsibility positively influenced NMMI over 25 years in total.
Dedicated and outstanding service and devotion to NMMI transcends a satisfactory performance of normal duties. A nominee’s devotion and dedication must be significant not only by his or her high standards but also by their own personal example. He or she must have adhered closely to the officially recognized customs and traditions of NMMI. He or she must have shown a willingness to devote their own time or resources to further the aims and goals of NMMI.
Positions of high responsibility include not only positions of policy formulation and decision-making, but also includes positions impacting cadets and developing their moral character. Service to NMMI over a number of years should be considered to be for at least a quarter of a century. A lesser time might be a consideration if the overall impact of their service was of great significance. To be avoided is the popular individual whose pleasing personality did little more than make him a “good ole’ boy or girl”. Service on the NMMI Foundation Trustees or NMMI Board of Regents is considered a position of high responsibility.
Category 3 — Flag Officers
Alumni who have achieved flag officer rank in any of the national uniformed military services who are senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercised command.
The Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms defines a Flag Officer as “A term applied to an officer holding the rank of general, lieutenant general, major general, or brigadier general in the U. S. Army, Air Force or Marine Corps or admiral, vice admiral, rear admiral or commodore in the U. S. Navy or Coast Guard.” The term does not include officers in state militias, defense forces or similar paramilitary forces.
Achievement of flag officer rank is in itself tantamount to “eminence in a chosen field of endeavor.” Selection for induction into the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame should be withheld until the retirement or death of the subject to prevent induction before their advancement in rank is complete.
Category 4 — Valor
Having achieved the highest recognition a nation can bestow, it is appropriate that all alumni who have been so honored be also recognized in the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame.
Alumni who have been presented one of the highest ranking military medals for bravery in combat to include The Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest award for gallantry. An alumnus who has been presented The Silver Star, The Distinguished Service Cross, The Navy Cross or the Air Force Cross are eligible to be inducted.
Civilians in any department or agency of the U. S. government may also qualify for the NMMI Alumni Hall of Fame in this category if they have been recognized for distinguishing themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their lives above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in combat against an enemy of the United States or service to their community.
Soldiers Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. The Soldiers Medal is awarded to an person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, including Reserve Component soldiers not serving in a duty status at the time of the heroic act, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving conflict with and enemy.
Category 5 — The George Ward Memorial
Alumni, whose actions and deeds have fostered the goals and ideals of NMMI.
Many alumni on an annual basis continually foster the goals and ideals of NMMI. This dedication and devotion to their alma mater is what is expected of all alumni. However, candidates for this award must have gone beyond that normally expected of a loyal alumnus. This award memorializes an individual who may not necessarily have contributed large sums of money, but nonetheless manifested his devotion and dedication to the goals and ideals of NMMI in other forms of endeavor as well. It is a fitting memorial to select individuals who seek to emulate George Ward.
The recipient of the award is not announced until the Hall of Fame Ceremony, which is normally held during Homecoming each year
