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In the early days of the University, while Mr. Jefferson was still Rector, a voluntary military company existed on Grounds. Students filled the ranks, established their own chain of command, and conducted drills. In 1825, Mr. Jefferson made tactical drill and training mandatory. Such training, he hoped, would produce qualified officers for a national militia. He even foresaw military education developing into a recognized academic field of study. Within a decade, there arose a dispute over the issue of weapon keeping between the cadets and the faculty. The cadets wished to keep arms in their Lawn rooms on the Academical Village. Faculty members refused this request, demanding that weapons be kept in a separate armory. Without a compromise, the company fell idle for some 25 years