The tunic and trousers are in good condition. Buttons for the tunic have been removed but 6 coat sized Navy buttons are present in one of the tunics breast pockets. The two smaller pocket-sized buttons are missing. No rank epaulettes are present on the tunic. Above the left pocket are ribbons for Asiatic-Pacific, Philippine Liberation and World War Two Victory. Awards may have been “married” to the tunic.

Trousers button at the waist and have a button fly. Both the tunic and trousers have the same laundry tag but no name is visible. Both pieces have some light wear from age.

Visor has black leather visor with gold braid chinstrap, white crown and period eagle with crossed fouled anchors on a black cloth band. Interior has a label with crest that reads “ART CAPS.” And a cut down red index card attached that reads “THEODORE H. RUPP USNR” with serial number and hometown. Sweatband is 100% intact.

With the uniform are several small pieces. There are two modern “RETIRED OFFICER’S ASSOCIATION” membership cards in the name of Lieutenant Commander Theodore H. Rupp USN Retired. There is also an ID card from 1948 showing Rupp’s service beginning in 1944 and a copy of a color photograph of Rupp in his white uniform with his wife.

Theodore H. Rupp was born in Windham, New York on October 22, 1915.

He attended Franklin and Marshall Academy where he graduated in 1935 with a degree in English. He was offered a position at his old school teaching French, which he accepted. In 1937 he attended Middlebury French Summer School in Vermont and in 1942 he received a Master of Arts degree from Penn State.

From 1944-1946 Rupp served in the US Navy. What his job was or where he served is not known.

In 1946, Ted started teaching at Millersville and did so for 36 years. In addition to teaching French and Spanish, he coached wrestling for his first twelve years and, in 1954, became Department Chairman of Foreign Languages for the following 25 years. He founded and directed the Millersville Graduate Foreign Languages Summer Schools from 1967-1979. He was the Resident Director for the West Chester Junior Year Abroad in Besancon, France from 1964 to 1965. After retirement from MU, he continued to teach French at York College and Elizabethtown College, and volunteered as a teacher at the MU Graduate French Summer School.

In 1969, for his many years of service on behalf of the French language and culture, Dr. Rupp was granted the highest award given by the French government to a private citizen of a foreign nation. He was knighted and became "Chevalier dans L'Ordre des Palmes Academiques." For his academic efforts, Dr. Rupp also received, "The Outstanding Service Award" from the Pennsylvania State Department of Education in 1990. In 1994, he received the "Alumni Medal" from Franklin and Marshall College.

Theodore Rupp died at age 94 on February 10, 2010 and is buried in Millersville Mennonite Cemetery in Millersville, Pennsylvania.  [AD]  [ph:m]

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