Knox College - Gale Yearbook (Galesburg, IL)

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The year at Knox has been an eventful one, perhaps the most cru- cial year of her long history. On the following pages will he found the chronological story of the year 1942 - 1943.

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CHAPTER ONE THE YEAR AT KNCX

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TI-IE YE R AT KNOX CHAPTER ONE The Way to Knox This was the year of great transition for American colleges and universities. It was the year for deciding whether or not schools of higher learning could justify their existence in time of total war. In the short space of nine months, Knox Col- lege changed from a typical small school at which the easy-going life of the men and coeds was having its last fling, changed from a Siwash,' to an Army school in which the students and faculty alike had discovered a new significance and a new responsibility for colleges like Knox. At the beginning of the year and for a few months thereafter, Knox was pretty much as it had always been. The enroll- ment of about 540 students was a decrease of only ten per cent. Fraternity life Hour- ished as usual after a rush week that was even more bitter than average. Some familiar faces were missing, but as yet the draft had made only superhcial stabs into Knox's supply of manpower, most of the men were deciding which of the reserve programs they should join. The extra- curricular activities were almost as numer- ous as ever, although the first issue of the Student editorialized about the possibilities of eliminating some of the non-essentials. And the regular curriculum was almost as extensive and varied as usual, there were only a few new war courses. Uniforms