Time capsule found in the rubble of Texas ROTC building

A time capsule from 1957 was recently discovered in the cornerstone of a demolished ROTC building in Texas.

A 54-year-old time capsule opened for the first time on Wednesday has given rare insight into the daily life and history of UT’s Reserve Officer Training Corps during the 1940s and 1950s.

World War II veteran and UT alumnus Frank Denius removed the time capsule’s lid to reveal a treasure trove of important historical documents. Among the books and paper was a 1957 senior ROTC manual personally endorsed by former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and a history of the Navy ROTC from its inception in 1940 until 1957. The book included rare photographs and a letter from the 1954 Board of Regents approving the construction of a new purpose-built ROTC building.

Also in the box was a 1956 Air Force ROTC yearbook and a brief history of the Army ROTC following its establishment in 1947.