Harvard University - Red Book Yearbook (Cambridge, MA)

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lgrrsirielrf gfflfltllflf 5 Message To the lass s of I943 and I944 There is no need for me to dwell on the unusual cir- cumstances under which you terminate your Harvard under- graduate careers. The fact that this Album contains the records of two classes and is published in anticipation of a mid-winter exodus of graduating members will stand in Harvard history as a symbol of the changes wrought by a total war. The day after Pearl Harbor we pledged the resources of the University to the prosecution of the warg here as else- where throughout the nation only one thought was upper- most-how could we assist in speeding the day of victory. Every week if not every day the academic scene altered as one change after another was required in the fulfillment of our pledge. Laboratories were turned over to war research, members of the faculty asked for leaves of absence to join the armed forces or to accept civilian posts in Government agencies, in increasing numbers the Army and the Navy oc- cupied dormitories and classrooms for the purposes of special training. The curriculum of Harvard College was altered to allow of the maximum saving of time for those who so desired. As a result many of you will complete your undergraduate program before you leave to enter the Army or the Navy. In spite of the changes to which I have referred, the life of Harvard College has continued for one year of war, at least, without radical transformation. The most dis- turbing element has been the result not of the physical changes incident to the influx of the Army and the Navy schools, nor the acceleration of the schedule, nor the losses from the staff, but the uncertainty in many of your minds as to the role you were called upon to play. It would serve no useful purpose for me to attempt to review the history of the relation of the Army and the Navy to the colleges since war began. That there have been mis- takes on all sides I am sure any impartial observer of the changing scene would readily admit. It was inevitable that a period of confusion and experimentation should follow our entry into the war. Neither the academic community nor the Wat or Navy Departments were ready with plans by which collegiate education might be modified in a country plunged into a desperate conflict. It was only slowly that many in academic institutions began to be aware of the full impact of a total war and the extent to which young men would be called upon for active service. There can be no question but that many important branches of the Army and the Navy, such as aviation, require young men. Recognizing this need, many below the draft age have already volunteered. While no one can quarrel with the policy of the Army and the Navy which has led to the recruiting of these young men, there can be no escape from the conclusion that an unfortunate situation has resulted from the draft age being fixed at twenty, while re- cruiting has been active for those much younger. Men of eighteen and nineteen in college and elsewhere have wondered where indeed their duty lay. The ideal in a total war is surely that the Government should requisition the services of every able-bodied young man and then allocate his talents for the best interests of the war. Now that the draft age has been lowered to eighteen, it seems probable that such a condition will soon prevail. One result will be to remove the element of uncertainty in the minds of undergraduatesg the other will be to bring about a drastic alteration in Harvard College. Except for the relatively few who are below eighteen or are unfit for military service, our students will be confined to those as- signed here for whatever education the Army and the Navy may prescribe. The period of transition through which you have lived will be complete, the call for men of eighteen and nineteen having now become a Federal mandate, Harvard College must make a corresponding readjustment. As a consequence many of its most important functions must lie dormant until the return of peace. In normal times about half the graduates of Harvard College continue their education either in this University or elsewhere. Therefore, I may express the hope that the

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uard over 179-Year-old 'onary War School sentry stands g soldiers in Revoluu Training tered 640 A Naval hich quar Ho llis Hall, w

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members of the Classes of 1943 and 1944 will return in force to Harvard after the war is over. For professional education will be as significant in the future as in the PZLSE. To borrow from the current military phraseology, one may say that you have received your basic training,weducation for specialized skills is yet to come. But whether your work in the post-war world will be the result of further study at a university or not, you will be among the relatively small number of your age group who have had this basic training. Your responsibility will be correspondingly heavy. You will be among the most highly educated of a war generation. You will be both col- lege men and veterans. Future leaders of the country will be drawn from your ranks and supported by your endeavors. Much depends on your efforts in the war, but still more depends on your attitude towards the grave problems which must be faced once the war is won. With few exceptions Harvard has taught you but little which will be of direct assistance in your military duties. But we hope that the tradition which this College fosters- the tradition of tolerance and understanding based on knowl- edge, of passionate belief in the prime significance of freedom -will serve you in good stead in the years ahead. It is for us who remain within the academic walls to cherish this tradi- tion and to make it have renewed significance in a nation dedicated to the principles of liberty and opportunity for all. It is for you, by your words and actions to show the stupidity and folly of those who only yesterday proclaimed the death of all democraciesg it is for you to show how free men may organize with justice and with tolerance a mechanized civiliza- tion in a contracted world. JAMES BRYANT CONANT FT