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THUUDAlT, MI C.7,1-941
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Three
Years of 'U' War
ctivit Reveals Change
Student Thought Turns!
ToPeace in Last Year
History Paints Graphic Story of Military Training,
Engineering Research, and Campus War Effort
By STAN WALLACE
City Editor
THREE YEARS AGO today the United States was attacked at Pearl
F arbor and almost immediately the intelligence and effort of all
students and faculty men on campus was marshalled to meet the
tremendous tasks that faced the University and the nation.
Three years ago today the world shaking news of our entry into
the war changed the lives of millions of people, set the course of
events that will alter the pattern of world history.
Three years ago today forces of change began to work on campus, the
results of which we can not now evaluate, but whose unmistakable trends
are clearly evident.
Few understood then the far-reachmng cxanges that would be wrought
on the campus in the next three years. Few expected an hilarious and
flippant student body to shift its attention from parties and dances to
the serious work of war.
No greater testimonial can be offered the University student and the
guidance of his instructors than the spirit of cooperation in a common pro-
ject, than the steadfastness of purpose which we see today after three
uncertain years.
President Alexander G. Ruthven sounded the keynote of the Univer-
sity at war when he addressed a huge campus assembly in Hill auditorium
the day after Pearl Harbor.
"We shall all work for total victory," he said. "The University
of Michigan shall assume her battle station."
The pattern of campus life was set and Michigan took her battle
station. In the urgencies of war, a new campus life was born. After
Christmas vacation that first year-when vacation was three weeks long-
the embryo committee of 1942-an all campus group-reorganized and
distributed war questionaires to help each student find his most useful
place in the campus war effort.
Enthusiasm of the campus to get into some kind of work was at a
fiery pitch. Men were urged to stick to their studies as each day more
and more flocked to the recruiting stations. Lit men talked of switching
to the engine school, of becoming physics majors, of becoming a tangible
cog in the mighty machine that was being built to win the war.
T 3E BOARD of Regents scanned the student questionaires and came out
with a sweeping reorganization policy to put the University on a
full time war basis. The school year was accelerated, the third term was
added, and seniors donned their caps and gowns on Memorial Day in 1942.
Spring vacation was a thing in memory only and the lengthy Christmas
recess was cut to six days. This was a campus which had found its foot-
ing in a mammoth job and everything was streamlined to meet the new
emergency.
for the hard-pressed hospital and
University laundry service and aid
for farmers in the surrounding
areas.
To meet this problem and to-aid
in other ways, the University War
Manpower Commission was organ-
ized in the fall of 1942 and continued
its effective work for almost a year
thereafter.
Under the direction of Mary Bor-
man, the Corps reached its pinnacle
of success when in late 1942, 300
men were shipped up to the Michigan
sugar beet country near Caro to help
hard-pressed farmers harvest the
beet crop.
AS THE first two years of University
activity drew to a close, the tempo
had been set, the pace was main-
tained and the campus eagerly look-
ed forward to this past year. None
knew quite what was in store, but
all were in high spirits to maintain
the place in collegiate leadership
Michigan held.
The final Spree of '43 ushered in
the New Year and students for the
second time in University history
trotted off to classes on New Year's
Day. Some were a bit woozy, others
in full formal attire, but all were
there.
But the beginning of the new year
carried a new and imposing challenge
for the campus. The war work and
activities had to continue, but condi-
Students FHock T o
Reserve Programns
Army and Navy Reserve pro-
grams were opened and a Univer-
sity War Board with Clark Tib-
bits at the head and a University
War Information center conducted
by Gerald Poor were established.
All data on reserve programs were
nandled through these agencimeb
and the ranks of the ERC, in the
Army and V-5 and V-7 of the Navy
filled rapidly.
A draft registration in February
brought home to more men that
this wasn't kid's play and as the
year progressed more men left the
campus for war service. By year's
end enrollment had dropped from the
high of more than 13,500 to 12,000 in
the fall of 1942.
Those who remained caught the
teiipo of speeded up woik and most
students assumed a new responsibil-
ity. College now was no longer, in
the classic phrase, a "preparation for
future life," but was now a prepara-
tion for a new life in a new world.
Fraternities were warned in Feb-
ruary to eliminate the trimmings
and frills of pre-war days and di-
rect their energies to more serious
and important work. Bond drives,
scrap collections ,and extra work-
ing hours were the order of the
day.
A small party at the Abe Lincoln
Cooperative house in February, 1942
turned into a big thing and we know
it now as Bomber Scholarship. The
idea was ,to put aside bonds for the
day when Johnny. comes marching
home so that he would find it easier
to get and finish school.
Campus groups caught the idea
and all began making contributions.
J-Hop committee gave all its pro-
ceeds and the fund was off to a good
start.
Campus men nearly jumped out
of their skins when Col. William,
Ganoe, then head of the ROTC
unit, called them "lounge lizards"
and not fit for more strenuous
work than eating cream puffs.
He prescribed a vigorous program
of physical hardening to put a man
in shape before he went into service.
The Board of Regents noted the plan
and we know it today as PEM. Four
and a half hours of vigorous physical
training was prescribed for each male
student as a condition of graduation.
WITH THE WAR as the major
topic of conversation and the
center of all work on campus, some
farsighted students realizing the re-
sults of the war held a great import-
ance, organized the Post War Coun-
cil and the first serious discussion of
postwar problems was held in a three
day conference beginning on April
17, 1942-just four months after
Pearl Harbor.
Day by day faculty members were
leaving the campus to take active
roles both in industry and the mili-
tary services. By year's end more
than 100 had left campus and with
the University daily increasing its
war services, professors and instruct-
ors alike doubled up on their assign-
ments.
As the year progressed the im-
mence proportions of the job at hand
became increasingly apparent to a
warried student body. Men were torn
between enlisting in the armed for-
ces,. joining one of the maze of mili-
tary reserves, or remaining at tasks
in school.
Repeatedly faculty leaders urg-
ed them to stay in school and be-
come prepared to be of definite
use to society. It was a tough de-
cision to make on any score.
And as campus men found it diffi-
cult to adjust to the new situation
so their coed companions wanted to
know what the women's role was in
the great conflict. A three-day con-
ference which brought outstanding
career women to campus was held at
the Rackham in early 1942.
To facilitate and completely mobi-
lize all woman-power on campus, the
Woman's War Council was formed
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Marhi ._M Des le
Pres. Ruthven
Marks Day ..
Editor's Note: President Rutliven is-
sued this statement marking the third
anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
For the young people in college,
as members of the armed forces
or as civilians, this third anniver-
sary of Pearl Harbor must be a
reminder first, that this is a long,
grim struggle in which victory is
not yet won, and, second, that the'
peace to come must be such that
the world may never again face
such a catastrophe. It is there-
fore a challenge to us all never
to relax our efforts, whatever they
may be, to bring about the over-
throw of our opponents, and fur-
thermore to strive with all our
Mgight to secure a broad and clear
understanding of the problems of
the coming peace.
. With all the earnestness at my
command I say that this world
can never be happy, nor can its
nations ever continue to live a
civilized life, without intelligence,
knowledge,. and . mutual . under-
standing,, here . and . everywhere
else on this globe. .,The university
student has special opportunities
to make himself a sufficiently un-
derstanding person and to help
others toward that essential end.
Now as never before education in
its broadest sense is revealed as
not only a privilege but a vital
necessity.
Alexander G. RIuthven
President
from existing coed organizations.
This central agency acted as the co-
ordinator for all coed work on cam-
pus.
THE JGP' organized bond selling
teams, the League conducted Red
Cross bandage rolling units, sopho-
more women planned entertainment
schemes for campus servicemen and
in one project or another, the Mi-
chigan coed found her place in some
kind of war work. r
Emergency Head
Coordinates Work
O FURTHER facilitate the Uni-
versity's role in the national ef-
fort, a new administrative agency
was created two weeks after Pearl
Harbor. Known as the Division of
Emergency Training, (DET), this
unit was charged with war training
both of civilians and military per-
sonnel then on the campus and who
would soon come.
Professor Marvin Hiehuss-ap-
pointed vice-president of the Uni-
versity last Monday-was made head
of the program and though he didn't
know it at the time, he was soon to
find, it his responsibility to arrange
for the training, over, the course of
three years, for more than 12,000
servicemen, provide their housing,
and mess.
Geared to the job of training
thousapds of servicemen in highly
technical and special skills and
with the faculty doubling up in all
14 colleges of the University, the
large scale training began in Feb-
ruary, 1943.
Even before the ASTP units arriv-
ed on campus, the Law Quadrangle
had entered complete war service in
September, 1942 when the Judge Ad-
vocate General School was moved
intact here from Washington. At
that time there were some 80 men
in the unit, all officers.
It was expanded in the spring of
1943 to include an Officer Candidate
school for judge advocates and it is
the only one of its kind in the nation.
MEN ARE instructed in military
law and all legal aspects of Ar-
ny activity. To date more than
Daily Photo by Pvt. Bob Crampton, Co. B, 3651 S. U.
WORKING FOR WAR-THINKING OF PEACE-Although the campus
still carries the complexion of a military base (above) and with war
work very much the center of student activity, serious students have
given considerable thought to problems of peace. Earnestness of
purpose is still evident as libraries are crowded (below).
kSTP program was going to close
own. The war Department did cur-
ail the program in April but some
nen on campus had the units shut
own as early as last December. A
eneral cutback in training programs
Nas announced and took effect in
kpril.
The total number of Army men
on campus dropped from the Octo-
ber 1943 peak of 2,466 to 1,215 in
April. Only the advanced engineer-
ing and Far East Area and Langu-
age, and medical and dental units
remained. At present there are
1200 Army men here.
The general pattern of service
training showed a steady decrease
throughout the past year and this
included the curtailment of the
Naval V-12 unit in November and
the discharge of dental students.
Emphatic cognizance of the rapid
changes being made on the campus
by the war emergency was seen in
the University report to aid dis-
charged veterans in their return to
colleges which was released in Feb-
ruary.
This program called for the estab-
lishment of one central state agency
to handle the readjustment of veter-
ans and to aid in their re-orientation
to civilian life.
ALMOST on the heels of this re-
port which contained detailed
plans for aiding the veteran on the
campus, the Veterans Service Bureau
was established to administer the
program.
As the year progressed more and
more veterans came to campus so
that the registration for the Fall
term some 339 veterans had enrolled
at Michigan.
These men seeing that some of
their problems were insoluble alone
banded together and during the past
summer formed the Veterans Organ-
ization on campus which was offi-
cially recognized by the University
in September.
At the same time the George Ham
Cannon Post 348 of the American
Legion was organized for World War
II veterans in Ann Arbor. Most of
the membership is made up of stu-
dents here.
Something new for the campus
came in the form of an all-student
vaudeville show called Kampus Kap-
ers. The show attracted more than
4,000 to Hill Auditorium and cam-
pus leaders took this response to be
the beginning of a revived campus
spirit.
THUS AS WE survey three years of
the University at war, we have
seen a metamorphosis both in or-
ganization and student thought.
The enormity of the current con-
flict has spurred each person asso-
ciated with campus to double effort
so that, even in a small way, the
victory for which we fight will be
hastened.
This is not the whole story. In-
numerable campus organizations
have expanded and modified their
programs to meet the emergency, but
we can't tell the story of the 154
Michigan men who have given their
lives in battle. We can't equal their
sacrifice. We can only back them up
with serious purpose and our little
knowledge.
This has been the University of
Michigan in three years of war
activity. Every man and every de-
partment has had his role to
play. Through all, the Michigan
tradition of doing a Job well has
prevailed.
When the war is over the battle
shall be half won. The lessons we
have learned fighting it will lead us
to the peace.
Editor's Note: This story has been pre-
pared through the efforts of many people.
Special credit is extended to members of
the Daily staff who aided in compiling
facts and to Howard Peckham, war Histo-
rian, for his help.
'I
t.
. ,
,
AT
to campus in March of 1943. This
was a basic unit preparing men to
be weather officers in the Army Air
Forces.
When these boys came in the last
vestiges of ordinary pre-war civilian
life vanished. They took over the
East Quadrangle and more than 900
men moved in. In peacetime this
building used to house 450 civilian
men.
This unit stayed on campus till
late in 1943 when the demand for
weather officers fell off. More than
500 men were trained here in the
span of nine months and they were
graduated to higher schools and
commissions.
At the zenith of its war training
activity, the University was provid-
ing educational facilities for more
than 4,000 Army and Navy men.
This peak was reached in the fall
of 1943 and since then the number
has steadily decreased. -
In July, 1943 when the number of
civilian men had reached such a low
ebb that coeds were beginning to
wonder what dates were, the Navy
V-12 program began on campus and
the West Quad was re-christened the
USS West Quad and has since been
known as the "ship."
In a group of four buildings com-
prising eight residence halls, 950 civil-
ian men had lived before the Navy
put ashore. Under Captain Richard
C. Cassidy who headed the NROTC
unit here, the program began with
1,500 men enrolled.
As the fall term opened in 1943,
there was a total of 2403 Army men
on campus and 1543 Navy men sta-
tioned here.
At the same time extensive re-
search projects were well under
way conducted by the engineering
school. To date more than two
million dollars worth of work for
the Army and Navy and private
companies have been completed
and other contracts are still in
force.
Christmas spirit!
_ Our gay, festive WRPEATHS
and FLORAL DECORATIONS
are just what youll need to
TN THE social vein and the thinking
of the average student definite
changes were apparent. The political
science and history departments re-
ported a definitely increased interest
in current affairs and freshman Eng-
lish instructors were surprised at the
great concern the new students show-
ed in their future.
It wasn't something you could put
your finger on. The student body
seemed more aware of important
problems, was discussing them and
planning for future action. The cam-
pus began to assume an air akin to
what President Ruthven has called
"preparation for citizenship."
The annual tradition of J-Hop
abandoned in 1942 in favor of a com-
bined junior and senior ball called
V-Ball was not revived last year. The
second edition of V-Ball attracted a
merry crowd of more than 2500
people to the I-M building between
the fall and spring terms.
Throughout the past three years
a serious manpower shortage has
dogged all activities. High on the
list of essential work were relief
1 f
tions permitted more active thought
to the peace that will follow the war.
The University report on postwar
construction and expansion had been
submitted to the Governor for con-
sideration and some $500,000 was
ear-marked for immediate use.
The entire program calls for an
expenditure in excess of $26 billion
dollars and would provide a Univer-
sity plant capable of occomodating
more than 18,000 full time students-
a fifty per cent increase over the pre-
war high.
University Plans
Postwar Expansion
NEW MEN'S and women's dorms,
completion of the Angell Hall
quadrangle, increased lab and re-
search facilities, a new administra-
tion and service building, expansion
of the woman's gym and construc-
tion of new swimming pools are a
few of the projects listed for develop-
ment after the war.
At the same time rumors were run-
ning rampant on campus that the
FOLLETT'S
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