A Day in the Life: 1942-1943
Along with the rest of the nation and the world, the community on Mount St. James was impacted by the events of World War II. This exhibit explores the changes and sacrifices made by the College to help support the war effort overseas and at home.
World War II was declared on September 1, 1939. By May 1940, the U.S. Navy announced the College of the Holy Cross would join the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program, which only was available at a select group of colleges and universities. Captain C. Julian Wheeler was the program’s first commanding officer at Holy Cross and in September 1941, 115 freshmen were enrolled. An advantage to joining this program was students were guaranteed to be able to complete their education before entering service.
Change was dramatic after bombs were dropped on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Holy Cross lost many of its students to the Armed Forces, as they were bravely willing to enlist. This led to the College closing dormitories. For those who remained on campus, daily life revolved around the war effort. Three days after Pearl Harbor, Rev. Joseph Maxwell, S.J., president of the College, expedited the NROTC program, which allowed students to complete the necessary coursework in three years. Additionally, Christmas and summer breaks were shortened and graduation was moved to May.
In July 1943, Holy Cross enrolled in the Navy’s V-12 program. This program allowed enlisted Naval officer candidates to receive a college education. These men, who had active-duty status, dormed separately but often classrooms were a mix of civilians, NROTC students and V-12 program participants.
During the war years, the College enforced black out regulations, naval terminology permeated campus culture (dormitory halls floors were called “decks"), activities were scheduled using the 24 hour clock system, and the Drum and Bugle Corps provided music for battalions marches. The Crusader, the student newspaper, even published a new section titled the “Naval Reserve Notes,” which recapped drills and other NROTC news. The Quarter-deck Club was established in 1942 and would continue throughout the war years to create a spirit of pride and loyalty among the NROTC students by sponsoring a variety of activities and social events.
NROTC students march with flags at the main gate on Linden Lane.
Explore this exhibit to learn more.
Change Across Campus
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1
St. Joseph Chapel
Mandatory mass was relaxed as there were students of many different faiths. In addition to Catholic chaplains, there were chaplains of other faiths. According to Rev. Anthony J. Kuzniewski, S.J., author of Thy Honored Name: A History of the College of the Holy Cross, 1843 – 1994, it was likely this was the first time this ever occurred. The academic day was adjusted so Catholics could attend Mass at 7am.
Pictured here is the first military Mass held at the chapel. Members of the unit had arranged themselves to form a "military cross" during the Consecration.
2
Military Science Courses
Students in the NROTC program had to dedicate at least 10 hours a week to military-based training including courses in Naval History & Regulation, Communication and marching on Freshman Field. Ardvanced courses for upperclassmen included Nautical Astronomy and Military Law & Tactics.
3
Fitton Field Obstacle Course
Physical fitness became an important focus. In addition to the indoor gymnasium, this outdoor obstacle course included activities such as scaling walls, hurdles, tunnels, Jacobs Ladder and cargo nets.
4
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Draft registration took place at the Worcester Memorial Auditorium. When asked about their reaction to the draft during an interview with the student newspaper, Holy Cross students “emphasized their willingness to discharge any patriotic duty assigned to them…[for] the successful completion of America’s war.”
5
Kimball Theater
Now named the Seelos Theater, this theater was used for a variety of film screenings sponsored by the NROTC program and the Quarter-deck Club. Films would be advertised in the student newspaper's "Naval Reserve" section.
6
Mary Chapel
Before the 1940s, the Mary Chapel in the basement of St. Joseph Chapel was used as an auditorium. During World War II, an anti-aircraft gun was installed to allow students to practice anti-aircraft drills during inclement weather.
7
Blackout Restrictions
While only Alumni Hall housed civilian students, wartime changes to the College still affected them. In cooperation with the national air raid defense organization, the College participated in practice air raids and black out regulations.
Coordinated by faculty and student wardens, drills occurred between the hours of 9:00 and 9:30 pm on scheduled days. Even the dining hall and the library closed. Due to the campus' exposed position, students on the top floors of buildings were required to evacuate.
8
Carlin Hall
In order to support the training of NROTC students, the basement of Carlin was transformed into a rifle range.
Student Activities and Event Highlights
Holy Cross Glee Club
The Glee Club was established in 1899 as a popular vocal group on campus and focused on voice training. The club paired with other campus musical groups to give entertaining performances as well as lend their services to the Chapel.
Glee Club photo from the 1942 Purple Patcher yearbook.
During the war, Fred Waring, a popular radio entertainer sponsored the “Pleasure Time National College Glee Club Competition." This competition challenged campus glee clubs to become a larger presence at colleges and universities. In March 1942, Waring wrote a letter to glee clubs across the nation urging support of the college clubs during wartime. In his letter, he stated “singing was important for victory” and for the “attitude of the American Soldier.”
The final event at Carnegie Hall was the equivalent of college football's Rose Bowl and according to a March 24, 1942 article of the Tomahawk, “it is the greatest honor that any glee club in the country can win." Holy Cross submitted three song recordings including an original school song, “To the Purple” written by Arthur McAvoy, ‘34. Led by club manager Daniel Brosnahan '42, the group recorded using the WORC station studios.
Unfortunately, Holy Cross, competing within the New England Division, did not reach the finals to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Faculty
During this time, most of the instruction at the College was geared towards military training and required specialized faculty members.
Holy Cross' Centennial Anniversary
On November 1, 1943, Holy Cross was set to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Due to the focus on the College’s war effort, the administrators refocused celebrations to events highlighting the achievements of their students. The Jesuit Community held a feast to mark the milestone on November 3rd. Otherwise, the College's centenary anniversary was fairly quiet.
While there were no large celebratory events, the College marked this momentous occasion by creating an official logo and publishing a pamphlet entitled Holy Cross, Old Holy Cross. The editors of the college yearbook, the Purple Patcher and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette also covered Holy Cross' centennial.
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