Due to a provision of the Morrill Act, beginning in 1893 all students were required to wear uniforms to classes and take military instruction.

The act provided for government funding to create universities specializing in agriculture, mechanics, and military training. While female students wore uniforms, they did not participate in military drills.  The uniform requirement lasted about a decade.

In 1916, the university started a Reserve Officers Training Program, which remained a two-year requirement for all men on campus until regents ended it in 1965. The university still offers award-winning programs in Army and Air Force ROTC to men and women.