Questions about Pennsylvania military academy uniforms

[VK WW1]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a Pennsylvania Military Academy uniform. I don't know much about this uniform. Which branch of the military does it belong to? What are the ranks? Why is there a rope hanging on the right shoulder, and what does it represent? The white brim of the cap is detachable; what does that signify?

[R Leonard]

PMC was the military college, obviously, in Pennsylvania.  It crashed out around 1970 when it was absorbed by, I believe, the Penn Morton College and eventually by Weidner University.  There was a guy in my class at VMI who had spent a year there and then transferred to VMI when the military college was to becoame civilianized.  He graduated a year ahead of the rest of us, but his younger brother, who also matriculated in August 1970, graduated with the class.  

 

Your uniform is not service branch specific, it is the standard cadet uniform, with minor variations, worn by by such state military colleges as VMI, Citadel, Norwich and probably others and mirrors that worn by USMA.  Your particular example has two class stripes on the sleeve indicating a second classman, a college junior.  With the absence of rank stripes it is that of a Cadet Private, Second Class.  Can't say for sure as to the significance of the shoulder rope (VMI uniforms, when I was there, did not sport such things, nor the collar brass, and the sleeve stripes, all three, the broad cadet stripe and the class stripes were located about 2-3 inches higher on the sleeve with class stripes only on the left sleeve - minor variations as noted) but I would not be surprised to learn the rope had something to do with a Band Company.  Cap cover was probably specified uniform of the day specific with the standard cadet grey underneath (again a variation, I believe you could find the same arrangement at Citadel, but not at VMI - gray covers only.  Don't know about Norwich).

 

Circa 1969 PMC was on my list of places to apply, about as far north as I was willing to go, but quickly fell off when the change to Penn Morton became known.   That was okay, I wanted VMI anyway.

[maddog1129]

The torch collar brass signifies education, and similar are often worn at military schools and academies, or ROTC programs.  The other one is specific to PMA.  I think I can see the keystone shape in the middle, which is a common symbol of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania is also nicknamed "the Keystone State."