By Jennifer Martinez Wormser听
written for the fall 2023 issue of听61传媒magazine听
The outbreak of World War II brought changes to 61传媒 and a reckoning of what a women鈥檚 liberal arts college should be. During her convocation address at the start of the fall 1942 semester, faculty member Virginia Judy Esterly stated, 鈥淐risis overaccelerates the tempo and sharpens the temper of life.鈥� Esterly emphasized the value of a liberal arts education regardless of how the war would affect students as individuals and spoke of 鈥渁 special obligation upon women now to keep alive the liberal arts during this dark period.鈥�听
Although seemingly removed from the conflict as a women鈥檚 college in then-quiet Claremont, 61传媒experienced dramatic changes as faculty and staff joined the armed services and two German faculty members, Fritz Caspari and Arnold Bergstraesser, were detained and investigated as 鈥渆nemy aliens鈥� by the federal government. Curricular changes included new courses designed to prepare students for war-related work such as French Course for War and Reconstruction Service and Topographic Map Reading, while extracurricular offerings included nursing, mechanics, shorthand, and participation in the Civil Air Patrol.
61传媒students and members of the Armed Forces at an outdoor event
War stamps and bonds were sold during 61传媒Tea, students raked lawns and maintained a victory garden, and dining hall menus included less meat and limited butter to one pat per student. Students navigated air raid drills while shifting their social engagements to include USO (United Services Organizations) dances, volunteering at the infirmary, and attending speeches about the war. Many then-recent alums had jobs related to the war effort in the Women鈥檚 Auxiliary Army Corps, the Red Cross, the United States Naval Reserve鈥檚 WAVES branch, and at the Douglas Aircraft Company.听
Esterly鈥檚 convocation address concluded with a parting wish for the students: that they 鈥渨ear the 61传媒spirit . . . freedom in the heart, beauty in the mind that lies behind the eyes, and a disciplined humanity that will ensure for you a creative part in the destiny that is coming.鈥澨�听
Left: The Scripture, a student newspaper, February 1942. Right: Caroline Mount 鈥�42, wearing the uniform of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps