In 1915, when war broke out in Europe, medical supplies of the anesthetic drug Novocaine quickly ran short. at the University of Munich, he returned to Austin as a professor of organic chemistry. As a UT undergraduate, Bailey was better known as one of the authors of the University’s first yell, but after completing his Ph.D. Most notable, perhaps, was chemistry professor James Bailey ( photo at left). Other bulletins were filled with recipes – created and tested on campus – to conserve wheat, meat, and fat. At the same time, the University produced four widely-distributed bulletins with recipes to help conserve food staples.Ībove: The “Save the Sugar” bulletin was one of four in a series. With funding from the Department of Agriculture, Gearing dispatched groups of UT co-eds to rural areas across the state to instruct farmers on the best methods for food preservation. Home economics professor Mary Gearing organized a widely-touted war college for Texas women that focused on food production and conservation, as well as women in wartime industrial roles.
On campus, research in psychology, biology, and chemistry was directed toward the war effort. Almost 40 professors were granted leaves of absence to engage in government service, often in officers’ training camps, hospitals, or intelligence. The faculty, of course, did much more than drill. Senior members who were too old for active military training assisted history professor Eugene Barker with planting a war garden. The group included honorary Private and UT President Robert Vinson. Led by philosophy professor Al Brogan as honorary captain, 84 professors agreed to participate in one hour of drill and shooting practice three days a week. Unsure where to begin, the faculty promptly organized itself into a military company. into the First World War on April 6, 1917, transformed campus life almost immediately. The college campus became a place where American youth could be transformed into broadly-educated and valued citizens. Because the corps was open to any high school graduate, legions of young men who might otherwise have joined the work force found themselves on a college campus, and either graduated or returned after the war to finish their degrees.īy the end of the conflict, universities had firmly established themselves in the public eye as a national resource. To avoid the closure of hundreds of male-only colleges, a national Student Army Training Corps was created, which allowed students to both remain in school and receive military instruction. Professors who specialized in subjects useful for war were recruited for their expertise. At co-ed institutions like the University of Texas, women assumed leadership roles that had traditionally been denied to them. The world war changed everything.Ĭaught up in the patriotic fervor that pervaded the nation, male students rushed to enlist in the armed forces, which decimated college enrollments. Despite curriculum reforms to include more “practical” courses in science and engineering, and business - along with the more traditional Greek, Latin, and the classics - colleges in the early 20th century had failed to win widespread support from government, business, and the public. Professors were rarely asked for advice on issues or problems of the day. Before 1917, colleges and universities were viewed by many to be frivolous or elitist, not as opportunities for social and economic mobility. World War I was a defining moment for American higher education. Officially presented on Maas part of UT’s Texas Independence Day celebration, the flag is a century old this year. A team of faculty wives and UT co-eds carefully hand-cut and sewed more than 1,500 stars – on each side – to honor members of the University community enlisted in the armed forces. One of the many wartime projects was the creation of an enormous University service flag. While universities have often described their missions in terms of education, research, and service, the First World War required the University of Texas to put almost everything else on hold and focus on its service to the nation. It’s nine pounds of wool and grommets that tells a story like no other.Īmong the extensive collections preserved by the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, a 10 ½ x 16 foot relic from UT’s past is a poignant reminder of a time when normalcy on the Forty Acres was upended and replaced by a single-minded effort to aid the country at war. The University’s World War I service flag is 100-years old March 2nd.Ībove: A century ago, on March 2, 1918, a hand-sewn, 10 1/2 x 16 foot World War I service flag was presented to the University.
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