Nancy Mace

BIO

Nancy Mace entered The Citadel in 1996 and after three years became the first female graduate of the South Carolina military college. She is the daughter of Army Brigadier General James E. Mace and Dr. Anne J. Mace, Ed. D. She grew up in a family that encouraged athletic sports participation as well as academic determination. Nancy has both a sister and a brother who have attended West Point, the United State Military Academy. Currently, she works with a management consulting firm. Nancy now lives with her husband (also a Citadel graduate) in Fort Benning, Georgia.

INTERVIEW

February 26, 2002

In 1999 Nancy Mace became the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, a military academy in Charleston, SC. The Citadel is steeped in tradition --- a tradition that included a men-only admissions policy until a court order forced the school to admit a woman in 1995. Mace tells her story bluntly and honestly in her memoir, IN THE COMPANY OF MEN: A Woman at The Citadel. Teenreads.com writer Rob Cline recently had the chance to talk with Mace about her struggles at The Citadel and why she chose to write a book. Read on to get the full scoop about this determined, resourceful and heroic young woman.

TRC: IN THE COMPANY OF MEN is a very honest and blunt book about how The Citadel is run and the psychological "tricks" and challenges all students face as well as the particular difficulties you encountered as one of the first women to attend. How do you anticipate your book will be received by current staff, students, and alumni of The Citadel?

NM: I believe that my autobiography will be well received by the majority of current staff, students, and alumni of The Citadel --- for those individuals who take the time to actually read the book, although this topic will always be controversial for some individuals.

TRC: Your story was heavily covered in the media --- a phenomenon you detail in the book. Given all the coverage, what inspired you to tell the story yourself in an extended form?

NM: The book has provided me an opportunity to tell my story, rather than having it interpreted by rumors or someone else. Writing the book has brought closure to my experience, and I can move forward and be proud of my accomplishments in life. This was also an opportunity to give something good back to an institution that has helped me instill a high moral character, distinguished values, and honor. I do not believe I would be where I am today had it not been for The Citadel.

TRC: Mary Jane Ross served as your co-writer. Describe that relationship and how the two of you worked together to produce IN THE COMPANY OF MEN.

NM: Mary Jane Ross and I worked very closely on producing my autobiography. She is very talented, and I have learned a lot from working with her. Our relationship for the success of this project depended on a collaborative effort, which was easily achieved.  

TRC: Although many people made it clear that they did not approve of your attendance at The Citadel, many of those who were most vocal and confrontational were women. It seems odd that women would object to the admission of women to the school. What do you think accounts for the hostility many women displayed toward you?

NM: Many times in an environment where men and women are working together, frequently women will be tougher on other women then they are men. It is an odd characteristic, but not all women are that way either. I believe that the majority of girlfriends and wives of alumni and cadets were genuinely jealous and envious.

TRC: You write of your struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and how the disorder added another level of difficult to your experience. Even so, you became a tutor for many other students, including upperclassmen, and your academic record was exemplary. What coping strategies helped you have such academic success in The Citadel's difficult environment?

NM: A benefit of going to The Citadel from my struggles with ADD was that the classes were smaller than say a larger university. When you attend The Citadel you have a rigorous, but regimented lifestyle, discipline, and structure. I used all of these characteristics to combat and deal with the ADD, because it forced me to be more organized than I normally would have been. In addition to taking medication, everything from my room to my academics was well-organized, and this was helpful for me in dealing with some of the characteristics of the disorder.

TRC: You present your decision to enter The Citadel as an opportunity to prove yourself to your father and to yourself. Which of those goals proved most motivating for you as you dealt with various challenges? Do you think it was harder to prove yourself to your dad or to yourself? Why do you feel that way?

NM: I believed that part of proving myself to my father came hand in hand with proving myself personally. I never really understood this until after I graduated from college and went back and reviewed my journal entries and realized what I had been trying to do. As a child growing up, I always felt that I was a failure (although I was not). This was the clinical depression talking that had consumed my life for so many years. And I felt that I just wanted my father to show the emotion I had not always seen growing up, that he loved me and was proud of me.

TRC: Although the book is filled with stories of trying times, you also interject a lot of humor into your story. Is a sense of humor an important tool for success at The Citadel? How do you find the lighter moments in such a serious setting?

NM: Humor is extremely important in the face of pressure or adversity. As a cadet, you could not always take situations seriously because when you make adversity personal it will ruin your sense of self and your life.

TRC: Do you anticipate that female enrollment at The Citadel will grow in the future? How long do you think it will be before female cadets can expect the same respect their male counterparts enjoy?

NM: I believe the enrollment for women at The Citadel will grow for a number of years until it reaches a plateau. Currently, there are just under 100 women enrolled. It is wonderful to visit the campus and not recognize the faces or know the names of every woman there. I believe that every year The Citadel becomes a better place under its current leadership. I believe women have more respect now than they did when I started just because there are women in every single class, the current cadets do not know anything different. However, I also believe that it will be a number of years until true equality is met because there is always talk of double standards (even though they do not exist) and that stigma will always be difficult to overcome.

TRC: Given President Bush's repeated calls for the military to be ready for action in light of the recent attacks on the United States, what do you think the mood is like at The Citadel right now? Would the current situation result in any changes in daily life at the school?

NM: I believe that our current national predicament has changed the mood of everyone in our country, including students at The Citadel. I believe the largest change we will see this year will be more students being commissioned for active duty with our armed forces. Generally only about 30% of cadets who graduate will go into the military. This year I believe you will see an increase in that percentage because of our current situation.

TRC: The book ends with your graduation. What do you do now? Do you anticipate writing another book in the future, either for young adults or for an older audience?

NM: I started out working for a consulting firm for a couple of years after school, although today I am currently promoting the book and teaching for the Fort Benning School District, where I currently reside. I am looking forward to writing more books in the future.

TRC: Do you have any specific advice for women --- and men --- who might be considering enrolling at the Citadel?

NM: My advice is generally the same for men and women. Any person interested in attending a military college or academy needs to attend for the right reasons and give it 100% effort. The Citadel is tough, but it is not impossible. For the women, especially know what your moral values are and stick to those values. Because so many times I have seen women bend over backwards to conform to a good old boy system. This is not a healthy decision because it is similar to taking a step back and not forward in the coeducation process. You can be a woman and a cadet and not have double standards.


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