Colgate University World War II records, A1057
Scope and Contents
The Colgate University World War II records document the experiences of Colgate's campus and alumni during the second world war.
The first series, Military Program records, contains records from several of the military training programs that took place on the Colgate campus during the war. It includes curriculum information, such as schedules, course lists, and examinations; enrollment lists; rules and regulations; information for instructors; correspondence and administrative documents; and analysis of examination results.
The second series, Colgate correspondence and administrative material, contains correspondence, reports, lists, and statistics from Colgate offices. It includes material from administrators, the Alumni Corporation, the registrar, and families of Colgate alumni killed in the war.
The next series, Financial records and contracts, consists mostly of agreements between Colgate and the Navy regarding the Navy's use of Colgate facilities to house, train, feed, and provide supplies for men in its training programs.
The Photographs series consists mostly of photographs of life on campus during the World War II years. Many of these photographs appeared in the Banter, which served as Colgate's yearbook and campus magazine during these years. They include images of classroom and physical training, athletics on campus, social activities, military drills, servicemen being given awards, and Colgate alumni in the armed forces. Also included are group and individual portrait photographs of cadets and officers.
The Press releases and clippings series consists of scrapbooks maintained by Colgate's Office of Public relations. They contain press releases and clippings with news on campus military programs and Colgate alumni in the armed forces.
The Ephemera series consists of a small amount of rationing materials from the Office of Price Administration.
The final series contains several different types of service records. This includes student grades and performance records from several of the military programs held on campus; cards and clippings maintained by Colgate's Alumni Office recording alumni places, dates, types of service, and special recognitions; and questionnaires filled out by alumni for the university after the war regarding their time in the armed forces.
Dates
- Creation: 1940 - 1958
Historical note
The second world war brought significant changes to Colgate University's campus. While traditional college courses continued, the university's civilian population was much lower than normal. Many student groups and activities, such as the Salmagundi yearbook, were suspended. The majority of activity on campus revolved around the military training programs, almost all from the Navy, that Colgate hosted.
The first such program, the Civilian Pilot Training Program, began prior to the war, around October 1940. This was a program of "flight training for enlisted cadets" that began as a "joint Army-Navy program" but by September 1942 was entirely Navy. It later became known as the War Training Service program. According to a report on Colgate's experience in World War II by Carl Kallgren, who served as Dean of the College during the war years, over 500 cadets participated in the CPTP and over 600 in the WTS.
The Naval Flight Preparatory School (V-5) opened at Colgate in January 1943 and was the largest of the military programs established on campus. Colgate provided facilities to house, train, and feed Naval cadets learning aviation. Colgate instructors taught some courses and Naval officers taught others. Colgate's portion of the faculty included a few women, a departure from previous practices at the institution. According to Kallgren, a total of 2808 men participated.
In the summer of 1943 a V-12 program was established on campus for Navy and Marine enlisted men who were officer candidates. The men in this program generally enrolled in regular college classes and were housed on campus, initially in fraternity houses and later in dorms. Some had previously attended Colgate as civilians, while others had attended other institutions. A total of 1137 men attended the V-12 program.
The Naval Academic Refresher Unit (V-7) program was held at Colgate from the summer 1944 to October 1945 and enrolled 848. It was designed "to prepare men, coming directly from the fleet, as quickly as possible for Midshipmen School."
Carl A. Kallgren, Colgate University in World War II, February 12, 1964, A1057, Colgate University World War II records, Special Collections and University Archives, Colgate University Libraries
Extent
18.6 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
English
- Title
- Guide to the Colgate University World War II records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Lisa King, Allyson Smally, Sarah Keen, and Kathleen Trychta
- Date
- June 30, 2016
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Colgate University Libraries Repository
13 Oak Drive
Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology
Colgate University
Hamilton New York 13346 United States US
315-228-6175
315-228-7934 (Fax)
