Knox College - Gale Yearbook (Galesburg, IL)

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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

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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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on the campus were still a novelty last Septemberg and the life of the Civilian Pilot Training men preparing for Army and Navy service was not regimented. There were nearly a hundred of these CPT men on the campus fmost of them living in Seymour? at one time last fall, and Magazine late in the fall which used Knox as an example of what a small liberal arts college could do to make itself useful in wartime. At the beginning of the year the effects of the war were felt only in little, insig- nificant things. On the first day of school A group of frexlzman girls make merry-becoming acquainted with eacb other ana' ealing-at lbe annual freshman picnic. The fun fest this year look place on the lawn of Seymour Hall. this program served as a forerunner to the Air Corps invasion which was to come later. It is unfair to say that Knox was not conscious of the war last September. As a matter of fact, the college administration was doing its utmost to prepare itself for war service. But there was still confusion as to just what the place of a liberal arts college should beg and until time could straighten out this confusion, the college could only feel its way along, hoping and striving to do all it could. The fact that Knox was doing a better-than-average job of it was indicated by an article in Fortune lust a very, very :mall portion of the long make line at ilfe Pumpbandle. At the bead of the lengthy column are the faculty and adrninistrative members who :bare in welcoming the new and old students. the freshman class picnicked as was cus- tomary-except that transportation short- ages resulted in having the picnic behind Seymour Hall instead of at Lake Storey. The rest of orientation weelcn was filled with the usual items such as Mortar Board and Friars parties, the Pumphandle, and rush dates. The following week the regular class work got started in earnest. It was the first taste of the new quarter system sched- ule for most Knoxites. The Board of Trustees had decided to put the college on the quarter system the previous yearg the summer quarter had been attended by ap-