Profile: ROTC Forms Foundation for Remarkable Career

LaMont Wells ’74 is the picture of success—he retired after 23 years of outstanding service in the military and went on to serve as president of two businesses and the executive vice president of a multi-billion-dollar global company.

“I was able to translate, leverage, and implement leadership traits learned through ROTC at URI to rise to senior levels in the military, at the national command level, and the private sector,” said Wells. “My URI experience blessed me with tremendous career and personal success that I would not have had if not for my ROTC experience.”

Wells grew up in a military family based in Newport and was drill team commander in the Rogers High School junior ROTC program. His deep appreciation for military service and Newport’s rich military history led him to enter the ROTC program at URI, where he studied business administration.

“ROTC was the centerpiece of my college experience and set me apart, as a leader-in-training, from the student body,” said Wells. “My campus life centered on business classes, ROTC participation, work as an RA, and attending URI basketball games. I enjoyed the full campus experience.”

After graduation, his first military duty station was a unit where a significant portion of the leadership and staff were graduates of URI’s ROTC program. To this day, he has maintained close connections to three of those individuals, as well as a Rogers High School cadet who attended URI.

“I have stayed connected to them throughout the years, and now as a member of the board of directors for the URI ROTC Alumni Association,” explained Wells. “Although I live in Virginia, I try to get back to URI two to three times a year for events like the annual ROTC golf event and the ROTC Ball.”

Wells’ military career has taken him around the world, and his leadership and expertise have been acknowledged by numerous medals and awards.

“I am a past recipient of both the College of Business Hall of Fame and the URI Distinguished Achievement Award, and I like to attend the annual DAA black tie event.”

He has maintained his connections to URI and his commitment to ROTC values throughout his life and career. He was inducted into the URI ROTC Hall of Fame in 2017.

“ROTC served as the cornerstone for learning the importance of how one must assume responsibility and be held accountable. I wanted to learn as much as I could from the ROTC faculty and to apply those lessons,” Wells said.