Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 284

through to end the military organization on December 14. Surprisingly enough, on that date the faculty proposed to the Trustees that military drill be continued as a part of a reserve officer program until the end of the college year. The Trustees reported back that they were disposed to advise discontinuance of drill as soon as possible, but that they were willing to consider the proposal again at the end of the year.

The prospective reversion to normal college activities required a complete rearrangement of Institute work. The three-term basis was retained, the second term to end in March and the third term late in June. Courses were reorganized in an effort to provide the equivalent of a full year's work. Plans for providing scholarships and other inducements for the return of former students were developed. All was ready at the time of the formal demobilization in the gymnasium, December 14, and after the Christmas holidays the Institute went back to work as an engineering co Ilege.

The demobilization had been celebrated by an Army and Navy hop held in the gymnasium. Meals were served in the mess hall, however, until December 21, on which date there was a special dinner for students, faculty, and trustees to signalize the closing of this makeshift dining hall.

It was inevitable that even such a brief excursion into a new realm should have upset many factors of a normal college life. The Tecb News, which had been discontinued, had to be reorganized. Fraternity programs had to be redeveloped. Intercollegiate athletic programs had to be revived, and numerous other relationships demanded readjustment. There was a vital problem of enrollment, for many who had enlisted in the S. A. T. C. only for the duration of the war dropped out at demobilization. Some former students were returning intermittently, but many of them were delayed by overseas service in the Army of Occupation. Still others did not come back to college. The whole alignment of class affiliations was hopelessly mixed; the Class of 1920 acquired numerous members of each of the three preceding classes.

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999