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The Michigan Daily Centennial Edition - Friday, October 19, 1990 - Page 9
Michigan, the Daily
and World
War
Two
compiled by Gil Renberg
From December of 1941 through August of 1945, this nation took part
in a furious struggle that has since become known as the Second World
War. World War II began roughly two years before the United States
joined in. In running this feature, we are trying to depict how students per-
ceived the war and how it affected the campus. These excerpts are from sto-
ries and editorials which ran in the Daily between 1937 and 1945. It is up
to the reader to decide whether the campus and the Daily have changed in
the last fifty years.
Oct. 8,1937 editorial about growing Japanese and German menaces
"Quarantine" of aggressor nations by the "peace-loving" as advocated by
President Roosevelt in his Chicago speech Tuesday again poses this irritat-
ing question: Should the United States join (or lead) the world in a crusade
against the epidemic of lawlessness and risk bringing the affliction of war
upon herself, or should she isolate herself from the contagion and risk the
disadvantages of hermitage?
...It is evident that... economic action against Japan must be backed by
the willingness, even the desire, to use military force, if such sanctions are
not to be futile.
April 27 editorial encouraging students to attend that day's peace protest
The Strike Against War is not radical, nor visionary, nor an affront to
the University Administration. It is simply the most practical means
available to you as students to make your sentiments known to those fac-
tions who are for war. You are, as you know, in the midst of a world at
war, mad dictators, precariously-situated governments an4 wild armaments
races. And the best way for you to dent the consciences or merely discour-
age these anti-social elements is to attend the Strike Against War.
U ..
April 23, 1941 article, "Gridiron Trio May Be Lost To Uncle Sam"
Like the king of old mythology whose daily existence was jeopardized
by the perilous sword of Damocles Coach Fritz Crisler goes about these
days in apprehension of another menace - Uncle Sam's draft.
And with good reason, too. The omnivorous armed forces have already
swallowed up one of his 1940 lettermen, are almost certain to grab off an-
other, and threaten to rob Michigan's gridiron ranks of two more stallions.
Dec. 5 fashion page article, "Military Influence Is Seen In Styles In Shoes
This Year"
Shoes for beau brummel have changed but little since last Yuletide, ex-
cept that the military influence has become more dominant - resulting in
plain toes and heavier soles.
to his mother said he died because of a shelling attack. "He refused to be
evacuated until his wounded men had been cared for," the letter stated.
A long period of anxiety ended in sorrow for Mrs. Benjamin B. Cannon
III when the Marine Corps informed her yesterday that Lieut. George H.
Cannon was killed in action at Midway Island Dec. 7, 1941.
The first Ann Arbor casualty of the war, Lieut. Cannon was a Univer-
sity graduate with an outstanding college record.
...Lieutenant Cannon, who was 26 years old, is remembered on this
campus for his outstanding work in the military department and in the band
and orchestra. A student in mechanical engineering, he belonged to Scab-
bard and Blade, honorary military society, and Sigma Chi. He graduated in
1938.
Feb. 14 article on the curfew for women changing from 1:30 to 12:30
Putting campus love on a war-time basis, the League Council shaved
an hour from Friday night dating hours yesterday, making the girls go to
bed earlier because:
(1) we must save electricity, or the University will have to ration it;
(2) coeds must be physically fit during the war;
(3) it will "bring the war home to the students;"
(4) of the 50 coeds who volunteered as Red Cross blood donors, 48 were
so run-down that they had to be rejected.
The Daily canvassed the students to get their reactions
Maxine Hall, '44, broke out with, "In a few months this may be a
women's school. Let us have a good time while we can."
...In the midst of all the girlish chatter a few masculine voices were
raised, Phil Swander, '44, having a word or two to say. "I'm a fast worker,
but this is going to rush even me."
Sept. 29, 1942 article, "War Telescopes U. of M. Educational Schedule"
Telescoped education - the University's recognition of the war emer-
gency - leads to a complete college education in 32 months, lopping 16
months of vacation off the conventional period.
...the Regents passed a resolution setting up a full-time summer sched-
ule to permit students to train themselves in the shortest possible time.
Vacation time was slashed to a mere four weeks per year.
Further on in same article:
...Lounge-lizards were to become an extinct species on the Michigan
campus as the Regents approved on May 16 a physical education program
of four-and-one-half hours of exercise a week for men.
April 18, 1945
First Lt. Carl W. Petersen '40, former Michigan Daily managing editor
was reported dead yesterday as a result of wounds received while serving
with the 97th Infantry division in Germany.
August 14, after the announcement of Japan's surrender
University activity will be suspended tomorrow (Wednesday) and classes
will resume Thursday, University officials announced.
Official University recognition of Japanese surrender will come at 7:30
a.m. EWT (Eastern War Time) tomorrow when the powerhouse siren will
sound a five-minute blast. In addition, a 21-round salute will be fired by
the French 75 mm. artillery piece located in the Law Quadrangle.
Aug. 14 editorial, "Peace For All Time"
We must be militant pacifists, alert to the dangers of aggression, wary
of those who threaten world unity.
Aug. 14 article which described Michigan during the war
Women on campus changed their usual projects to activities connected
with the war. Rolling bandages, working as nurse's aides, bond selling be-
came part of the routine of the Michigan coeds.
August 15 article, "Victory Brings Joy to Ann Arbor"
Genuine, but not unrestrained, joy spread throughout most of down-
town Ann Arbor last night following the announcement that the "war was
actually over."
...Cars, more cars than are usually seen in this quiet city, drove through
the main streets loaded to the roof, displaying flags, bunting and colored
streamers.
Dec. 14 article on Chinese students not wishing to be taken for Japanese
University Chinese Students will soon follow other Chinese students
all over the nation in wearing identification buttons "to distinguish them-
selves as Chinese."
Dec. 18 editorial, "Race Discrimination And War Hysteria"
It is a sad commentary on our time that in a period when complete na-
tional unity is urgently needed, loyal American citizens should be subject Feb. 11 article, "Fraternities Advised to Cut Frills"
to discrimination through the fact of racial origin. But when hoodlums in Greek-letter organizations - pinched by the draft, rocked by the war -
Detroit beat up Orientals, when Chinese students in this country are are advised by their mentors to shake-off every trace of easy-going tradi-
obliged to wear identification buttons for protection, it is evident that a tion...
disease is spreading through the hysterical minds of self-assuming patriots With the admonition that the University... cannot be charged with run-
which can only impair our war effort. ning "a country club," Assistant Dean Walter B. Rea... declared they must
abolish frills, cut down on the number and pretentiousness of their parties,
Jan. 10, 1942 article announced the death of Lt. George H. Cannon, the stress scholastic aims, fulfill their obligations to University and country
first Michigan grad to die during the War. A letter from the Marine Corps - and watch their expenditures.
Frilly stories dominated Women's Page
.9
11COEDS
Continued from page 3
a person to have friends of the oppo-
site sex, "but it was common at the
Daily."
As far as promotion went, "There
were possibilities for women to get
higher offices, but the old line 'In
order to compete with men, a
woman had to be twice as good"'
applied, Jones said.
Women were no less encouraged
than were men, she observed, but a
"tracking mechanism" existed, she
explained. "Women were aimed in
certain directions," i.e. soft news or
feature writing. "Women virtually
never got the University beat," a
hard news responsibility.
Jones' frustration, however, was
less vented at the Daily than at Uni-
versity restrictions on women.
Jones said the first year the Un-
dergraduate Library opened and oper-
ated until 12 midnight, women had
to be home by 10:30. "That gave
men a whole hour and a half to have
the books to themselves," she
pointed out.
"'In order to compete
with men, a woman
had to be twice as
good."'
- Susan Jones
former Associate
Editorial Director
The next year the administration
backed down and extended women's
curfew to midnight on weekdays as a
result of women's complaints. Jones
said the Daily's editorial page played
no role in achieving the changes.
In 1961, however, Daily Editor
Tom Hayden influenced the abolition
of the dean of women office. "The
Daily was very much the prime
mover," Jones said.
Another landmark change for
women came in 1970 when Robin
Wright was the first woman to enter
the Michigan stadium press box.
Wright, who became associate sports
editor in her senior year, was a
football writer and one of the few
female sports- columnists in the
Daily's history.
University officials objected to a
woman's presence in the press box,
but Wright persevered and was
allowed entry.
U..
While the Daily seems to have,
at times, somewhat cushioned the
harsher realities of the outside world
for women, it was not exempt from
sexism.
For the past two decades, how-
ever, women have worked in every
section of the paper -- Arts, Opin-
ion, Business, Photography, cer-
tainly News, and even some on
Sports staff. Beyond that, women
have held top editorial and business
positions, and of course, have han-
dled hard-nosed beats, including ad-
ministration, city, student govern-
ment, and crime.
Few women or men in the earlier
part of this century could have imag-
ined the Daily would be a paper
where women hold top positions and
constitute half the staffs. As for
those days of the "coed" headlines,
the curfews, and meddlesome dean of
women office, well, we have come a
long way.
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