History of Millersburg Military Institute
COL C.M. Best established the Millersburg training school in 1893. It was conducted in the old Kentucky Wesleyan buildings. The Kentucky Conference prohibited any boarding until 1898 and it was in this year that Best purchased this building and adjacent property from the Methodist Church. Best and his wife began at once to improve the buildings and grounds to convert it into a boarding school. The military feature was added and the name changed to Millersburg Military Institute (MMI). From then, until the spring of 1920 when the grounds and buildings were sold to the Bourbon County Board of Education, Best endeavored in every way to maintain a school that would be a credit to himself and those associated with the institute.
Moffett Hall was built in 1923 when Rankin Hall was constructed. The Educational Department was then transferred to Rankin Hall and remained there until the final days of MMI. One of the best athletic stadiums in Kentucky was added to the school in 1925. It was named the Nelson Stadium in honor of COL Nelson. In 1927, “The Fighting Cadets” established their name in basketball history by winning the state crown. Their athletic teams have always been one of the highest caliber – noted for their fighting spirit. In 1931, MMI established a junior school in buildings acquired from Millersburg College. This added grades 1 through 8. In 1946, Memorial Gymnasium was completed and dedicated to the Cadets and faculty who had served in World War II. It has classrooms, a stage, large locker rooms and a central heating plant. That same year, the second of the present-day barracks was completed. It was named after Mrs. W.H. Miller, a member of the Board of Trustees, and housed 75 Cadets. It was one of the first completely fireproof dormitories on a school campus in the state. In the early 40s, a structure was moved to the campus and put on a foundation next to Miller Hall. It was originally used as a rifle range and was later renovated to house faculty members and their families. In 1956, the Fighting Cadets would capture the Kentucky State Championship in track and field. This gave the academy its second state championship. In 1963, the old gymnasium, which was converted to a mess hall, was destroyed by fire. The new mess hall was completed one year later and dedicated as Gamble Hall, which is still in use today. It also served as the libra Cadets, parents, faculty, and townspeople worked and leveled a football field and track. This field is now named Rees Field. It has become known as “Death Valley” to challenging teams because of the intense heat. MMI’s football games were always played during the day. The great Paul “Bear” Bryant also used the field. Bryant holds the record for the most coaching wins in Division I football history. Bryant used the field while at the University of Kentucky. Holding practices there allowed him to get his team away from the distractions of Lexington. The legend goes that any boy who loafed in practice was required to make the 25-mile walk back to Lexington. In reward for turning out productive citizens to the state and our country, the governor of Kentucky bestowed a great honor on the academy. On July 15, 1976, Gov. Julian M. Carroll proclaimed that day as MMI Day. In 1977, Moffett Hall was no longer used to house Cadets. It was razed due to its deteriorated condition. Monuments bearing the cornerstone to Moffett Hall and the junior school have been located on the main campus, which covers more than 18 acres. In 1984, House Joint Resolution of the General Assembly, officially designated MMI, as the Official Military Institute of the Commonwealth. The school did not, however, receive any state or federal funding. In 1998, the school changed its name to Millersburg Military Academy. Memorial Gymnasium was rededicated as Roger C. Womack Memorial Gymnasium. MMI had a proud tradition of military excellence. MMI Cadets have been represented in every branch of the armed forces from World War I to the Global War on Terrorism. In the United States, approximately 30 college preparatory military schools remain. MMI was the only military school in the state of Kentucky and the eighth oldest in the nation. While JROTC was taught here, the school was rated an honor school every year since 1945. In June 1998, the academy became an official unit of the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol. MMI was once the only military school in the United States that used the Air Force Auxiliary to instill leadership qualities in its Cadets. They came from 37 states, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America – including more than 1,000 students who were members of the National Honor Society. The Cadets always maintained an unmatched level of pride. The academy claims MG William Suter, Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Army’s former Judge Advocate General; Nick Gamboa, who played with the Brooklyn Dodgers; Wendell Berry, author and poet laureate of Kentucky; COL George Chin, noted author and historian who developed 30 patents for the machine gun; Tom Boerwinkle of the Chicago Bulls and Kentucky High School Hall of Fame; and Judge David Knox of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. These are just a few of her famous sons. The Institute’s academics were of the highest standards and the student/teacher ratio was never more than 11 to one. The Cadets’ uniforms have changed 15 times since 1897, but the fighting spirit of the Cadet Corps did not. Every Cadet was pushed to his or her maximum potential – whether it was on the athletic field or in the classroom – the emphasis was on the “individual” and developing a young person into a well-rounded, productive citizen. The class of 2006 was the last to graduate from MMI, ending 113 years of Cadetting heritage in Millersburg. As the doors were closed and the campus sat vacant for more than two years, the town of Millersburg seemed to lose much of its history. Fortunately, in September 2008, the U.S. Army Cadet Corps (USAC) selected the historic campus to be its new home, moving its 100-year-old program onto the hallowed grounds of MMI. USAC is dedicated to the preservation of MMI’s heritage and traditions, ensuring that the thousands of young people who proudly proclaimed the title of “MMI Cadet” will always have a connection to the campus. More History 2 (external link)
There is no Way Except the Way of Virtue
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MAJ John Miller, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, surveyed 100 acres of land in 1798. This land was later laid off in lots and incorporated into the town of Millersburg, Kentucky. 
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