University's Facilities Largely Mobilized For War Effort; Armed Services Take Over

This article is the first of a series on Harvard's contribution to the nation's war effort. It is expected that forthcoming stories will deal with the various service schools, as many of the research projects as possible, student and faculty activities, and other features of a University in war time.

Over fourteen months ago, in a memorable meeting the day after Pearl Harbor, President James Bryant Conant pledged all the resources of Harvard University to the single end of complete victory over the Axis. Someday, after that pledge has been kept can be told, the war is over, all the details of how For the present, military necessities demand that much must remain secret.

There are now more soldiers and sailors than undergraduates around the University, because of the eight specialized schools now in training here. Everything from WAVES to Marines grace Cambridge's streets, and representatives of countless branches from the Chaplains to soil experts can be spotted around the Yard. Research projects have taken up many of the University's laboratories--but beyond the fact that they exist, little is publicly known about them.

As far as undergraduates are concerned, the most important contributions are new courses of expanded instruction in such fields as Japanese, Russian, psychology, camouflage, mathematics, chemistry, physics, engineering, and navigation. Coupled with the Summer School and accelerated program, this new curriculum is designed to turn out future officers and technicians as fast as possible.

Harvard's normal teaching staff has been cut by at least 400 men. The undergraduate enrollment has been slashed drastically, and such graduate schools as the Law School have lost up to 90 per cent of their students.

Harvard Beds 6000

An important function of Harvard today is providing mess and housing facilities for the Army and Navy. The University now beds 6500 men as opposed to a normal capacity of 4000, and could increase that to 8000. Where students lived two to a room in Perkins and Conant, the chaplains have been crowded in six to a suite. The present figure of 6000 men eating in the 16 University dining halls could be it is estimated advanced to 10,000 by the installation of a military shift and self-service system.

Most prominent of Harvard's war activities are the eight specialized service schools studying here. First to be established was the Navy Supply Corps at the Business School, set up in June 1941. Since then nearly 1500 officers have been graduated, and they are serving in all corners of the globe. Also under the general supervision of the Supply School come Radcliffe's WAVES.

From Electronics to Chaplains

The electronics school, Navy communication and indoctrination unit, Army Chaplains School, 25 Army engineers studying soil characteristics as it affects airport construction, "rough-and-ready" navigation being taught the Army's Amphibian Engineers, the Air Force Statistical School, and two groups 'earning about surgical and tropical medicine at the Medical School bring Harvard's armed population to a figure approximating 3500.

Besides, there are 400 men in the Quartermaster ROTC unit, 500 in the Field Artillery (this total has been cut in half by graduations and Manpower Commission decisions), 300 in the Naval ROTC, 500 commissioned officers in the Medical School, and between 1000 and 1500 students (including those who left College in January) in the reserves.

The most complete conversion of any part of the University has been made by the Business School, where no more civilian students will be accepted. Such a prospect does not face the College at the present time, for applications are being received for a Freshman class to enter in July. The number to be admitted will depend on the facilities available after demands of the Harvard services have been filled.