University of Houston - Houstonian Yearbook (Houston, TX)

Page 17 text:

By 1943, students at the University Were turning from philosophy, aesthetics, literature, and music appreciation to the more practical-for-wartime pursuits of map-making, trig- onometry, radio communications and navigation. Women were trained in industrial classes to fill the jobs of men who were called into the service. At least l,000 of the University's students, ex-students and faculty members answered the call to arms. Eighty-six of these were reported killed or missing in action. Ingenuity was necessary in the Hman power shortagew War days. Senior coeds found this to be true when the senior dance was planned prior to graduation. Ninety per cent of the grad- uating class were girls. The boys who would ordinarily have escorted them to the dance were busy fighting a war. A date bureau was set up with girls registering in Dean of Men L. S. lVlitchell's office. lnformation on the girls was relayed to a nearby military establishment and dates were gotten for the dance. lngenuity of this kind Was not limited to students, however. One faculty member, unperturbed by the tire situation, rode his horse to the University every day from his home four miles away. An Advisory Board of fifteen members was created for the University by the Board of Education in '43, With 1944 came an enlargement of campus acreage. The Anderson Foundation purchased 90 acres and lVlr. and lVlrs. Cullen purchased 50 ac1'es to add to the campus, making the total campus size 262 acres. This is Cougar Den as it looked when it was new. - V'1r1tx Varieties an all student talent show was Above are nominees for Varsity Venus The econd girl from the left is the U H s Elsa Roshorough popular xx llll all

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The Recreation Building was erected in 1942 under 'fthe Big Top. University coeds sold War bonds during the war years. Scrap drives occupy afternoon hours of coeds Who, in the evening, act as hostesses at parties for service men. I I I I In 1941, the second annual Frontier Fiesta was held in spite of heavy rains that caused postponements several times. The main attraction of Fiesta that year was a skit hy students on the college days of faculty members. After the fateful December day in 1941 known as Pearl Harbor, and the United States' entrance into World War II, the University, along with the rest of the country, turned its attention to the bringing about of' peace. Construction of the Student Recreation Building began in 1942. Because the building was needed for special defense programs, officials determined to avoid delay that might come as a result of rainy weather. A large circus tent 270 feet long and 40 feet wide was put up over the working area to insure earliest possible completion. On May 1, less than 60 days from the digging of the first shovel of dirt, the first class of boys in the United States Naval Reserve Elementary Electricity and Radio Materiel School moved into the building, established sleeping quarters and were served meals in the cafeteria. The first Blood Bank in Houston which later grew into the Houston and Harris County Blood Bank was begun at the University. War-conscious University students sold war bonds, sponsored scrap drives, and coeds even sold their nylon stock- ings to aid the war effort. The Co-ed-ettes, an organization of University girls, gave parties for service men and worked closely with the U.S.O. A big step was taken in '42 with the opening of the Univer- sity Downtown School.

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1934- ,Q 1959 V A f M,,, 'M ., K . -17' V,,.. 4 . A W MM :N ij: 7,,,,k i ,V,, .lil-, K Q1 ,,.gZ,Q5gffiggMt,,5y i ' As a remedy for the acute housing shortage, trailers were moved onto the 1 niversity campus to house veterans and their families. The University's first basketball team to participate in an inter- collegiate program won ten of the fifteen games played. I I I I In March, 1945, a separate Board of Regents for the Univer- sity was created by an act of the State Legislature. One of the first acts of the Board was the election of Dr. E. E. Oberholtzer as the first full time president of the University of Houston. Mr. and Mrs. Cullen donated oil royalties valued in excess of 53,000,000 to the school. Several temporary buildings were constructed in 1945. With the advent of the atomic bomb and the end of the War, soldiers discarded their uniforms and came home, many of them to resume their college studies. The nation's youngest Purple Heart wearer, 15-year-old Bob Kelso registered at the U. of H. for Hrefreshern courses in the vocational and techno- logical areas. In a newspaper article, the young veteran said he liked everything about the University except the sopho- mores. By 1946, the number of war veterans enrolled in courses at the U. of H. had reached 6,510. Total enrollment was 10,968. A special counseling and guidance department was set up for veterans. The Veterans Club was organized and fifteen temporary buildings and four permanent steel shops were erected to accommodate the increased number of students. The University of Houston, seeking to alleviate the housing shortage for veterans, worked with committees of the Veterans Club, and, after some months of negotiations, arranged to have trailers brought from nearby Texas cities to house the vets and their families. The University's first intercollegiate athletic program was launched in 746 when the school joined the Lone Star Athletic Conference.