A special legacy: The women of L Squadron served as trailblazers

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets first admitted women to its ranks 50 years ago, in the fall of 1973, with the formation of L Squadron, an all-women unit.

No other service academy or senior military college in the country had yet allowed women to join, and Virginia Tech was the first to venture into the unknown territory of women at collegiate military schools. Serving as trailblazers in the corps and the nation, the women of L Squadron faced many challenges and paved the way for other women to follow in their footsteps. 

The 1973-74 school year was L Squadron’s first. Deborah Noss Ayers ’75 was the first commander of L Squadron, and women cadets were housed on the first floor of Monteith Hall, which they shared with students who weren't in the corps.

A noticeable first issue came to light: the lack of established uniforms for women cadets. A decision was made that the female uniform would be similar to the male uniform, with gray tops and skirts. Grooming, physical training, and drill standards also needed to be established. L Squadron cadets had a hand in making these decisions.

According to an interview from 1998 housed in Virginia Tech Special Collections and University Archives, the corps’ first Black female cadet and L Squadron commander for the 1974-75 school year, Cheryl Butler MacDonald ’76, said, “We looked to the military services for a lot of stuff for uniform wear and dressing appearance, because the corps didn't have anything for us to look to.”

After some debate, the U.S. Air Force female grooming standards were adopted for the women cadets and the already-existing physical training test was modified to have women cadets to run 1.5 instead of 2 miles. Drill standards proved to be more challenging to establish because women cadets were not allowed to carry rifles while in uniform. Women who were seniors also were not allowed to carry sabers or wear senior capes. 

While working to overcome those issues, the women of L Squadron also worked to establish an identity for their unit. “We got to form our identity and establish the fact that women really could be a legitimate part of the corps, and we got to do it our way. We got the respect and their trust and it made it easier when the integration finally did happen,” MacDonald said.

They sought ways to prove themselves to the male cadets, including drilling frequently to remove any chances of being belittled by other squadrons or companies. By L Squadron's second year, women were more widely accepted by others in the corps and across campus. 

“The first year, I didn't feel like we were that much a part of the corps. The next two years, I think everyone else was more used to us being there, so we weren't an afterthought like we were the first year in a lot of cases,” said MacDonald. 

Under MacDonald’s command during L Squadron’s second year, the women won the Kohler Cup, a highly-sought honor in the corps for precision drilling.

Ayers and MacDonald would be followed in command of L Squadron by Emily Pillsbury Davis ’77, Janet James Escobedo ’77, Victoria Cox Mouras ’78, and Julie Davila ’79. The 1978-79 school year would be the last for an all-female L Squadron — the corps incorporated women into the historically all-male companies.    

The legacy of the women of L Squadron paved the way for future generations of female cadets, leaving an indelible mark on the corps and the military as a whole. Because of their courage, creativity, and resilience, other exceptional women cadets in the corps continue to thrive.

Notable achievements for women in the corps

• Deborah Noss Ayers ’75 named the first female company commander, L Squadron, 1973-74
  
• Cheryl Butler MacDonald ’76 was the first Black female cadet and first Black female cadet to command a company, L Squadron, 1974-75
• Selena S. Daughtrey ’80 was the first female company commander of a historically male company, F Squadron, 1979-80
• Barbara Russell Bucknam ’83 was first female battalion commander, 2nd Battalion, 1982-83
• Sandra Siegrist ’85 was the first female regimental executive officer, 1984-85
• Denise Shuster ’88 was the first female regimental commander, 1987-88
• Lori L. Keck ’92 was the first female drum major for the Highty-Tighties, 1991-92
• Christina Royal ’06 was the first Black female regimental commander, fall 2005

Written by Corps of Cadets Alumni Director Cmdr. Nate Brown '98 and the cadet historian staff