Naval Training School Here Reaches First Anniversary

Just one year ago the first class of 705 officers of the U. S. Naval Reserve reported to Harvard to begin training in the Indoctrination and Communication School. Including this first class 400 student officers from Maine to California and from Washington state to Florida have reported for training duty here and more than 2800 officers have been detached to posts all over the world.

James Bryant Conant, President of the University, officially welcomed the Naval Training School (Indoctrination and Communication) on behalf of the University and pledged cooperation in this war as Harvard has cooperated with the armed services of the United States from the first world war back to housing Colonial troops during the Revolutionary War.

The first Officer-in-Charge, Commander C. A. Macgowan, reported here June 24, 1942 and was detached from duty afloat June 2, 1943. Lieut. Comdr. M. E. Paradise was made Officer-in-Charge at that time. He had been the Executive Officer since Feb. 21, 1943.

Hannah, Sweetland Arrive

Lieut. Comdr. E. Hannah and Lieut. Comdr. E. W. Sweetland, now Executive Officer, were the first two Naval officers to report to Harvard to make preparations for setting up the school. They were followed here that same month, June, 1942, by Lieut. C. F. Brengartner, Lieut. G. F. Welker, and ten Communications Reserve graduates from the Naval Training School (Communications), Noroton, Connecticut. On July 1, 1942, twelve Annapolis graduates were assigned here temporarily to teach in- doctrination.

For the first two months headquarters, or "Topside," was in Littauer Center, where the Communications School has continued to have its headquarters. On September 1, 1942, "Topside" was moved to its present quarters in the President's House at 17 Quincy Street.

A few copies of Naval Communications borrowed from the First Naval district were the only equipment from which the Communications School could instruct its 125 students. The school now has all the essential publications necessary to train the complement of more than 1250 student officers now at Harvard, the largest of three Naval communications schools in the United States.

Cornell University Naval Training School, Indoctrination and Communications, with its publications, 371 students, and staff headed by Lieut. Comdr. Paradise, were detached to Harvard on October 2, 1942. On October 31, another 124 officers originally assigned to report to Cornell also reported to Harvard.

There is hardly a ship in the United States Navy which does not now have on it a graduate from the Harvard Naval Training School, Indoctrination and Communication. These graduates are now on active duty in every corner of the seven seas.

And as each month gasses another 250 officers go out from the Communications school at Harvard to man their posts in the U. S. Navy as our country cooperates with the other allies in the fight for Freedom