After the declaration of war, the entire campus became involved in the war effort. In a tremendous display of patriotism, an attempt was made to establish a military unit on the campus. A National Guard sergeant organized three hundred students and teachers into a battalion of four companies. Without equipment, they drilled on Alumni Field during times originally intended for physical education. By 1917, a great increase could be observed in the volume of war-material production in Washburn Shops. Every available machine was manned by a skilled workman at an obscenely high rate of pay. Furthermore, in order to conserve foodstuffs, these same workmen cultivated victory gardens during their spare time in plots of less than arable land.
It was at this time that student activities were disrupted. There was a significant decrease in scheduled athletic events, and an abandonment of all minor sports. The football team and newly formed basketball team were not very successful due to very small number of participants. The newspaper was facing significant shortages, and so was taken over by the Alumni Association.
Late in the spring of 1918, the War Department developed the Student Army Training Corps. WPI was one of the 500 educational institutes to sign the contract and thus received an enrollment of over 600 students under military supervision and discipline. The course work was planned on a three term basis with a total of eleven hours per week for military drill and war aims. The military requirements, in addition to 60 percent of the old program course work, were incorporated over eight terms to completed in two years. Seniors could then finish their work in two terms of three months each. Uniforms and equipment were issued to all students of military age, the fraternity houses were converted into barracks, and the yet completed swimming pool was floored over to be used as a mess hall. Each day, these students stood reveille, formed for mess, drilled, passed in review, and attended evening studies. Such was the normal routine until the Armistice signed on November 11th.
The war ended with WPI losing a large number of professors through the war cause to down-sizing (forced early retirement or sabbatical), enlistment, or special military research assignments. Likewise, many students were members of the armed forces serving in England and France. The Journal, the campus paper, reported a total number of about 700 men from the WPI campus who served their country. A large majority of these men were commissioned officers. Fifteen of the seven hundred who enlisted, died in service.
This article is therefore dedicated to those who fought for our freedom and the freedom of others, by serving their nation and its armed forces.
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