_______~ ~ ii~ii~A......iY._______
wo Years of War
'i higan Takes Lead
MI Prezning Servicemen g
Are
Reflected in
University
Changes
What the State of Michigan Is Doing at War
By STAN WALLACE <
In a year wrought with drastic
hanges in living the country over, a
y~ar which saw the tide of battle
turn in favor of the Allies on every
front, the University of Michigan
fowund its definite place in the
sch.me of war and every student and
faaulty member bent his every effort
to the task at hand.
thange, inevitable, but never-
ss important, has been the
teyn_, o; University life since
.. teful day, .two years ago
to ' whe n the United States took
p acee wth thbe free nations of
K eworld battling for that free-
The initial anxiety of mobilizing
tfniversity facilities for war had
passed by Pearl Harbor day 1942, but
the University didn't actually get
tooth and nail in the war effort until
the first of this year.
Theme Is Total War
The pattern of University life had
been ,set the day after Pearl Harbor
by Presideit Alexander G. Ruthven
when he mobilized Michigan for "to-
tWl war. The Uiniversity of Michigan
takes her battle station as she has
in every war."
rlgn took her battle station
adsin an atmosphere filled with
de fgencies of war, a new cam-
pus i e was born.
For the first time in the 106 year
)istory of the University, Michigan
: ,,with their coed companions
greeted the new year in Ann Arbor.
New Years in Ann Arbor
.he first Michigan New Year's
'e party--'42 Finale-was held in
th e I-M 3uilding and the students
pang in 1943 to the tunes of Bill
qa'er's music.
he ballroom was packed, for
swas. the Qnly campus social
rvet of the evening, and most of
e gatly .spilled over into classes
he nxt Gy.
It was officially announced that
ere would bed classes New Year's
Da and some students didattend.
hne professor reported that it dis-
acted hi to teach students garbed
iWi ful formal dress, and everyone
fe- the war spirit of the occasion.
Students Aid Labor Crises
The Student Manpower Commis-
sion organized in 1942 to mobilize
University men to relieve an acute
labor shortage in restaurants and
on nearby farms was called upon to
discharge one of its biggest tasks in
December.
A call from the Navy depart-
ment asked that the University
dismantle two 80 ton steam boilers
in the powerhouse and ready them
for shipment to an east coast Navy
arsenal.
The University Buildings and
Grounds Department didn't have
the manpower to complete the task
and the Manpower Corps, headed
by Marvin Borman of Indianapolis,
stepped into the breech to get the
job done.
Students were not yet without
their apathy for war work. A vigor-
ous campaign in The Daily brought
the necessary response and the boil-
ers were dismantled and shipped to
the Navy on time.
Future in School
Worried U' Men
Even after a year of active par-
ticipation in the war, male students
were very much concerned about
their future in school.
On the anniversary of Pearl
Harbor in 1942, the arihed services
closed all enlistments and campus
men were in ga fog until on Dec. 16
the Army issued their plans for the
disposition of the Enlisted Reserve
Corps (ERC).
It was announced on that date
that all college men in the ERC
would be called soon after the first
of the year and this was the first
step in a long line of orders and
counter orders from a service corn-
mands and Washington that led
many men to throw up their hands
in despair.
Many Students Left
Expecting to leave school in early
January, many students packed up
and went home. The momentary
call didn't come as expected and the
men were finally pulled out of school
in different groups beginning in
March and continuing through May.
Attempts were made to get a
clear order from the War Depart-
ment and by early March, a state
of calm had again taken hold.
Af ter it was first indicated in the
summer of 1942 that both the Army
and the Navy were interested in
using existent college facilities for
specialized training programs, the
University kept in constant touch
with Washington officials.
War Brings New Agency
On Dec. 18, 1942 a new administra-
tive agency was set up born of the
exigencies of war. It was called the
Division for Emergency Training and
sition as one of the leading col-
leges in the country.
The first contract program for
Michigan was announced on Dec. 9,
1942. This was a program in basic
meteorology connected with the
Army Air Forces and was scheduled
to begin here March 1.
Many Changes Followed
This instituted the first wholesale
change of campus life that would be
the forerunner of many more.
The East Quadrangle of Resi-
dence Halls was put at the dispo-
sal of the Army to house this first
contingent of service trainees.
Rooms Filled to Capacity
Single rooms were converted into
threesomes while double rooms were
made to hold five men. Double
decker beds were installed and the
only resemblance of a peacetime
dorm was the physical building it-
self.
The first group of meteorolo-
gists moved into it on March 15
and classes began the same day.
A second class was begun in May.
Officially the Army Specialized
Training Program (ASTP) began
here March 1 with a group, of basic
engineers. From this point on a gen-
eral recounting of the University's
major function in the war effort is
a history of successive ASTP units
and Navy trainees.
All Departments
T rain Servicemen
Almost overnight but not without
many long hours of tedious planning
by all departments of the University,
every function, classroom, and fac-
ulty man was involved in training
servicemen for specific war and post-
war ,jobs.
Where once a man in khaki or
blue was a novelty in Ann Arbor,
they now became commonplace.
Of the Army's program of 16
different courses to produce tech-
nicaly .trained men for every
branch of service, 15 have been in
progress here in the past year.
The course of events showed that
Michigan was not going to confine
itself to only training Army men.
Navy Uses University
The Navy Department in Wash-
ington announced at the first of the
year that it, too, would enlist the
services of the nation's universities
for specialized training.
Men of Michigan hurried to get
their papers approved to enlist in
the Navy Reserve programs-V-1,
V-5 and V-7, before they closed in
December.
A Daily extra onDec. 17 carried
the complete details of both the
Army and Navy programs which
would bein full swing by the end
of the spring semester.
This statement officially ended
the indecision of campus men as to
what to do about their role in the
war effort, but events to come spelled
contrary circumstances.
'Stick to Studies' Urged
In a statement issued Dec. 17,
President Ruthven urged all men to
stick with their studies until they
are definitely told by the Army or
Navy their exact disposition.
The holocaust that raced
through each boy's mind was
loosed by the campus ROTC unit
on their commanding officer Col-
onel William A. Ganoe. He had
no definite news to give them but
assured them of their place in the
Army scheme and aided in quieting
the confusion.
The second major University dor-
mitory was taken over by the Navy
on July 1 to house 1,500 Navy V-12
trainees.
The Navy 'program permits men
to pursue their own course of study,
for their regulations provide that
all officers must be college gradu-
ates.
Civilians Not Forgotten
In the midst of all this conversion
to war training for servicemen, the
civilian students, whose number was
steadily decreasing, were not shoved
aside.
Regular courses were main-
tained and integrated with the
service programs.
A somewhat normal course of
campus activities was continued with
necessary wartime limitations.
Changes Severely
Felt in Social Life
In the social vein these limitations
were definitely apparent.
The annual tradition of J-Hop was
combined with Senior Ball in one
big dance held in the I-M Building
between the fall and spring semes-
ters,
The usual hilarity of J-Hop plus
the last fling attitude of Senior
Ball were combined into one big
evening which carved its indelible
and baseball coach, Both are in the
Navy.
In the scientific field, nUniversifty
research facilities have been ac-
tive. A program in radar research
has been in progress here for two
years and increased in tempo dur-
in-the last 12 months; the Uni-
v'4ty Hospital is conducting ex-
periments in an attempt to develop
a more adequate diet for tropical
areas; and the Navy Tank in the
engineering school has been test-
ing model boats for the Navy.
Perhaps the major event involving
the administration of the University
was President Ruthven's trp to Eng-
land in November.
He journeyed there at the invita-
tion of the British Ministry of Infor -
mation and the British Embassy here
to study and discuss, problems of
education in the post-war era.
lie came back to campus in
early December and ol'ered sone
pointed observations of the roe of
English educational institutions
*now planning for future education
and emphasized the "leading role
Universities must play the world
over in training leaders for the
post-war world."
"Michigan is expected to be ini the
vanguard of universities with an in-
ternational outlook," he stated and
added, "we must prepare 'now for the
role of the future."
PEM Improves Men
PEM continued as a re ular fea-
ture of every man's prgra and
comparative figures from the PhysI-
cal Education office indicate a
marked improvement in the men.
In line with the accelerated pro-
gram announced by the Regenta in
1942, the third semester bean
June 7 with an enrollment approx-
imating 4,000 students.
Classes for the fall semester 1943-
44 began one month later than usual
to coincide with the new Navy sem-
ester which started Nov. 1. This
necessitated, a change in the year's
calendar and puts the end of the
spring semester well into June, 1944.
Six Days for Christmas
At the moment students are wad-
ing through midsemester exaina.-
tions with the prospect of the war
curtailed six day Christmas vacation
looming in the foreground.
The Union has temporarily tak-
en over most campus social events
and is now planning "The Final
Spree of '431-Mlchigan's second
New Year's Eve party to be held
at Waterman Gym.
With an eye to the future the
Bomber Scholarship committee
has continued its program to raise
funds to be used for scholarships
for returning students after the
war. To date the fund has raised
approximately $25,000, one quar-
ter of its $100,000 goal.
This is the University of Michigan
at war. Every fibre of its organiza-
tion, every member of its faculty,
and every student on the campus
have dedicated themselves to the one
purpose of doing the most good for
the nation at war in the shortest
possible time.
the war has changed the pattern
of campus life and this second anni-
versary of Pearl Harbor finds the
University doing its part to cement
the unity of America.
Michigan's contribution to World War H is being measured today- war plants and shipyards; guns, torpedoes, bombs, fighting planes and
the second anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor-by victories on fighting ships flowing from production lines, while in Navy schools
battle fronts thousands of miles away. These Photographs show a throughout the state thousands of men are receiving intensive training
cross-section of the state's war activity-men and women toiling in for duty with the fleet as WAVES take over shore billets.
versity activity has been the role of
the Michigan coed in war work.
The Women's War Council was
organized early in 1942 to coordi-
nate the work of women in war
work. Early in January, a three
day conference delineating the role
of women in the war effort was
held at tl4 Rackham Building.
Experts from all fields indicated
to the women what place they must
fill in the scheme of a national war
effort both on the campus and after
they leave school.
The JGP organized a bond and
stamp selling drive, the League spon-
sored Red Cross bandage work, soph-
omore women worked out entertain-
ment schemes for campus service-
men, and in general, most campus
women found their role in some sort
of war activity.
For some reason which has re-
mained unfathomed, this enthusiasm
waned through the summer semester
and has fallen to a new low ebb this
fall. Agitation is increasing to inter-
est women vitally in war work. Cam-
pus women hold the key to the prob-
lem.
All Schools Changed
Every faculty, school, and college
in the University has made the chan-
ges necessitated by increasing war
demands.
A definite shortage of clerical
workers, typists, business machine
operators, and stenographers
prompted the Division for Emer-
gency Training (DET) with the
School of Business Administration
and the Literary College to begin
a training program ,for such work-
ers in June for the first time in
University history.
For the first time in its history,
the business school has discontinued
its program of MBA degrees-1) for
the lack of an adequate staff, and
what is more important-2) there is
a definite place for students so
trained in industry rather than in
school.
Chronicle of 'Firsts'
The current history of the Univer-
sity under the strain of war activity
is a chronicle of 'firsts'-activities,
programs and innovations are. being
instituted which most educators
never dreamed of before.
One of the most important val-
ues that most observers find in the
new scheme of tradition breaking
acts is the fact that the value of
these programs in wartime will be
doubled when peace is attained.
However critical the rooming situ-
ation was last year after a year of
war worker inroads on student
rooms, this past year has seen the
situation go from bad to worse.
Housing Problem Grew
The DET had the difficult problem
of finding adequate housing facilities
for all Army men before they came
to campus.
The two main University dormi-
tories were snapped up immedi-
ately and the only other logical
places for housing were the cam-
Working out a plan with DET, eight<
fraternity houses were leased by the
University for freshman students
(there are still a few left), six forc
University women, and 14 for the
use of the Army.
A glance at. the comparative fig-
ures of rooming houses available
now with pre-war, pre-Willow Runt
days, presents a graphic picture of
the problem.
1939-800 rooming houses; 1943
-285 rooming houses.
It was no wonder that some coeds
were forced to sleep in the League,
Barbour Gym and the WAB at the
beginning of the semester.
Disgruntled though they were,
these women stuck until the problem
was ironed out.
* *
Enrollment Figures
Show Great Change
Perhaps the single group of facts;
that best tells the story of Michi-
gan's place in the war effort is the7
comparison of enrollment figures for
the past two years.
In the fall term 1942 6,098 civilian
men registered for classes while 3,42'
women were on hand when academic
work began.
For the present spring term
1,964 civilian men registered for
classes and 3,779 coeds enrolled.
The drop in civilian men enroll-
ment figures is not so surprising
considering all factors.
The tempo of our war effort has
increased and those men who were
not in essential training, have gone
into military service. And too, many
men anxious to get vitally into the
war have taken positions in industry.
All of which doesn't change the
heartfelt woes of the average coed
who finds herself definitely in the
majority of the campus population.
4,000 Servicemen
Things have not been so one-sided
as this analysis might indicate, for
the contract trainees on campus now
number close to 4,000, including both
Army and Navy men.
This figure plus the variety of spe-
cialized training courses that the
University is conducting for service-
men has placed Michigan in the fore
of universities and colleges training
men for war.
'U' War Board Established
The test aided many students in
deciding what field to enter and
what work they could best do to fit
into the war picture.
The University War Board was
established soon after Pearl Harbor
to coordinate all efforts to put the
University on a war schedule.
An Information Service was es-
tablished to act as the liaison
agent between the services and the
students. Professor Burton D.
Thuma, chairman of the psychol-
ogy department, was made Armed
Services Representative and to-
gether with Gerry Poor conducted
more than 30,000 interviews with
students and aided them in their
decisions about the services.
commission in the Navy in April and
carried on the job till midsummer
when the need for such a service
disappeared and it was abandoned.
Three Semester Year Started
Out of the War Board with the
sanction of the Board of Regents the
University was put on a three semes-
ter year academic program in April,
1942.
The new program meant that a
student could attend school for 48
weeks out of the year and cut off a
year and a half calendar time from
a degree program.
The first mid-year graduate exer-
cises in the history of the University
were held at the end of the fall tern
in February.
In the field of sports, war condi-
tions created both good and bad
circumstances.
Servicemen Aid Sports
What would have been a rather
mediocre Michigan teamn was bol-
stered by many Marine and Navy
trainees sent here in the V-12 con-
tingent.
Bill Daley, smashing fullback
from Minnesota, the man Who
helped bring the Little Brown Jug
back to Michigan after ten years
absence; Flroy "crazy e1gs" Hirsch,
Fred Negus and Jack Wink from
Wisconsin arey a few oef the out-
stand ing names that paced this
year's edition of the Wolverine
gridders to the number two spot
among the nation's football ma-
chines.
On the cinder its. Michiga
copped both the inddor and outdoor
Conference meets paced by Captain
Dave Mathews.
Regarding other [ichigan sport
teams, nothing outst:dig ca be
noted except the methudical plug-
ging and hard work by all the men
for alma mater.
Faculty Members
Leave for Services
The past year has seen more than
100 faculty people leave the campus
for war service in whose ranks num-
ber Cliff Keen, wrestling coach, and
Ernie McCoy, freshman basketball
OUR " l1ffl
CHRISTMR'4.S GIFT'
A A T