Early life

Ruckman was born at Deers, Illinois, a flag-station just southeast of the University of Illinois. Biographies, however, usually list his place of birth as Sidney, Illinois

Sidney, Illinois

Sidney is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sidney is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...

 (Champaign County). His parents, Thomas and Mary O'Brien Ruckman, were farmers. His uncles, John W. and Wilson Ruckman served the Union Army with distinction in the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 (Company A, Illinois 35th Infantry).

After three semesters at the University of Illinois

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...

, Ruckman was appointed from the 14th Congressional District of Illinois for acceptance to the United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

. His nomination was made by Republican Congressman Joseph Cannon

Joseph Gurney Cannon

Joseph Gurney Cannon was a United States politician from Illinois and leader of the Republican Party. Cannon served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1903 to 1911, and historians generally consider him to be the most dominant Speaker in United States history, with such...

. Ruckman graduated from West Point (1883), the U.S. Artillery School (1892), the U.S. Army War College

U.S. Army War College

The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...

 (1915), and the U.S. Naval War College (1916). He married May Hamilton, the daughter of Civil War hero Colonel John Hamilton, and was nominated Brigadier General by Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...

 in 1916 and Major General in 1917. At the time, Major General was the highest rank in the Army. Ruckman was the only individual to command three of the six designated interior military Departments in the United States (Northeast, Southeast and Southern).

Career highlights

Ruckman was assigned to Fort Hamilton

Fort Hamilton

Historic Fort Hamilton is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn surrounded by the communities of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, and Bensonhurst, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington...

, New York (1883–1890) and developed a friendship with Tasker Bliss. From 1881 to 1899, he served at Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...

 where he and four other officers of the Artillery School founded the Journal of the United States Artillery

Journal of the United States Artillery

The Journal of the United States Artillery was established at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in 1892, by First Lieutenant John Wilson Ruckman, Cornelis DeWitt Willcox, and three other officers of the Artillery School. Ruckman served as the editor of the journal for four years and published several...

 in 1892. He also served as the Editor of the Journal for four years (July 1892 to January 1896) and published several articles therein afterward. One publication by West Point

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

 notes Ruckman's “guidance” and “first-rate quality” work were obvious as the Journal “rose to high rank among the service papers of the world.” The Journal was renamed the Coast Artillery Journal in 1922 and the Antiaircraft Journal in 1948. He invented several artillery devices that were critical in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

After serving a brief stint at Fort Slocum, Ruckman was sent to Havana, Cuba, then made Instructor at the School of Submarine Defense (Fort Totten, New York). While developing courses on chemistry and explosives, he developed a friendship with Arthur L. Wagner

Arthur L. Wagner

Arthur Lockwood Wagner was a United States brigadier general and military instructor.-Biography:Born in Ottawa, Illinois, Wagner graduated from West Point in 1875 near the bottom of his class with a commission in the infantry...

. In 1906, Captain Ruckman was assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco

Presidio of San Francisco

The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...

, and given command of Fort Baker

Fort Baker

Fort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters of the 91st Division...

. In 1911, his command was transferred to Fort Mills

Fort Mills

Fort Mills was the location of US Major General George F. Moore's headquarters for the Philippine Department's Harbor Defenses of Manila and Subic Bays. This was one of the locations at which, under the National Defense Act of 1935, coastal artillery training was conducted.-References:*McGovern,...

, Corregidor, where he distinguished himself by successfully withstanding a siege. In 1916, he was assigned to organize and command the 5th Provisional Coast Artillery Regiment at Del Rio, Texas and given command of El Paso Rio Grande and the district of Laredo.

Ruckman served as Commander of the Southeastern Department (Aug 1917) Southern Department (Sept 1917) and the Northeastern Department (May 1918).

Who's Who in Military History notes that Ruckman was the inventor of many devices that were useful in World War I.

Controversy

Ruckman's life was not without controversy. Although he ranked high in his graduating class, he was held back one year at West Point for laughing during artillery drills and "in other inappropriate places." In 1896, he suggested that a regiment of soldiers in Cleveland, Ohio, be abolished because of its relationship to prostitutes. In his 1915 Naval War College

Naval War College

The Naval War College is an education and research institution of the United States Navy that specializes in developing ideas for naval warfare and passing them along to officers of the Navy. The college is located on the grounds of Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island...

 thesis, Ruckman called for universal military service and the education of "all boys and young men" in the use of firearms. He also recommended strict guidelines for the content of history texts in schools and colleges. Ruckman served as Commander of the Southern Department in the direct aftermath of the Houston Riot (1917)

Houston Riot (1917)

The Houston Riot of 1917, or Camp Logan Riot, was a mutiny by 156 African American soldiers of the Third Battalion of the all-black Twenty-fourth United States Infantry. It occupied most of one night, and resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and sixteen civilians. The rioting soldiers were tried...

 and, although his decision-making was supported by Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...

 (in a public statement), it was scrutinized in the congressional Military Justice Hearings of 1919. In 1918, he distributed a scathing circular to members of the Texas State legislature and lobbied on behalf of a bill that would ban the teaching of German in public schools. In 1920, Ruckman engaged in a very public dispute with Charles W. Eliot (Harvard) regarding the quality of military education in the United States. In 1921, Ruckman suggested (in a public speech) that immigrants be required to serve for a period of time in the military in order to enhance the "Americanization" process. He also made national headlines that year by refusing to allow soldiers under his command to march in Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade (a decision supported by the Secretary of War).

Death / Tributes

General Ruckman died in 1921 and was buried at West Point. Pallbearers included two major generals, a retired brigadier general and five colonels. The U.S. Military Academy Band and a Detachment of Field Music furnished music and a detachment of field artillery fired eleven minute guns as the cortege left the chapel. A salute of eleven guns also followed three volleys of musketry over the grave. After his death, Congress awarded Ruckman the Army Distinguished Service Medal

Distinguished Service Medal (Army)

The Distinguished Service Medal is a military award of the United States Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States military, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great...

 with the following citation:

Brigadier General John W. Ruckman, United States Army deceased. For exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services as Department Commander, Southern Department, between August 30, 1917, and May 9, 1918, and Department Commander, Northeastern Department, between May 23, 1918, and July 20, 1918. He handled many difficult problems arising in these departments with rare judgment, tact and great skill.

The military reservation at Nahant, Massachusetts, was renamed "Fort Ruckman

Fort Ruckman

Fort Ruckman was a U.S. Coast Artillery fort located in Nahant, Massachusetts. Originally called the Nahant Military Reservation, the fort was laid out in 1904-1907 and covered an area of about 45 acres just northwest of Bass Point, on the southwest side of the Nahant peninsula. During the 1920s,...

." Today, streets are also named in Ruckman's honor at the Presidio of San Francisco

Presidio of San Francisco

The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...

 and in Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe

Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia—at Old Point Comfort, the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula...

, Virginia. A granite column also bears his name at the University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium (Champaign)

thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as...

. Ruckman's only son, John Hamilton Ruckman http://psruckman.com/JHR.htm, was a graduate of M.I.T. and the University of California, a veteran of World Wars I and II and a chief engineer on the Manhattan Project. John Wilson Ruckman is also the grandfather of Peter Sturges Ruckman

Peter Ruckman

Peter Sturges Ruckman is an Independent Baptist pastor, teacher, writer, and founder of Pensacola Bible Institute, an unaccredited school in Pensacola, Florida...

 an independent Baptist minister, teacher, writer, and founder of the Pensacola Bible Institute

Dates of rank

No pin insignia for 2nd Lts. in 1883	Second Lieutenant, Regular Army: Artillery, June 13, 1883
	First Lieutenant, Regular Army: Artillery, Feb. 20, 1891
	Captain, Regular Army: Artillery, March 31, 1899
	Major Major (United States) In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel... , National Army: Artillery Corps, June 30, 1906
	Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay... , Coast Artillery Corps: Feb. 2, 1911
	Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... , Coast Artillery Corps: March 7, 1912
	Brigadier General Brigadier general (United States) A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed... , Army of the United States Army of the United States The Army of the United States is the official name for the conscription force of the United States Army that may be raised at the discretion of the United States Congress in the event of the United States entering into a major armed conflict... : July 20, 1916
	Major General Major general (United States) In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general... , National Army: Aug 5, 1917
	Returned to grade of Brigadier General Brigadier general (United States) A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed... , Army of the United States Army of the United States The Army of the United States is the official name for the conscription force of the United States Army that may be raised at the discretion of the United States Congress in the event of the United States entering into a major armed conflict... : May 1, 1918
	Major General Major general (United States) In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general... , National Army: June 7, 1921 (Awarded Posthumously)

Selected Writings

• "Ballistics: The Wind Problem in Gunnery." 1890. School of Mines Quarterly Text.
• "Artillery Difficulties in the Next War." 1892. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "The Effect of Wind Upon the Motion of a Projectile." 1892. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "Coast Artillery Fire Instruction." 1894. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "Investigation of the Comparative Values of Concentrated and Parallel Methods of Mortar Fire." 1896. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "Are Disappearing Gun Carriages Essential to Our Coast Defense?" 1902. Journal of the Military Service Institution
• "Coast Artillery Practice." 1908. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "The Journal of the U.S. Artillery." 1912. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "Siege of Port Arthur" 1915. Journal of the United States Artillery
• "The Policy of the United States." 1915. Thesis. U.S. Naval War College.
• "Military and Naval Cooperation." 1917. Journal of the United States Artillery Text.

External links

• John W. Ruckman Extensive biography with numerous illustrations.
• West Point Tribute to General Ruckman
• Gold Star Alumni University of Illinois' tribute page.
• Presidio Ruckman neighborhood at the Presidio of California.