Army Air Corps at Carroll College

The United States entered World War II after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, and American officials mobilized institutions across the country to support the war effort. This rapid about face from isolationism to action “severely disrupted the operation of colleges and university in the United States” (Dorn 535). Because so many college-age men volunteered or were drafted, “Administrators at many institutions of higher education negotiated agreements with the armed forces to host a variety of training programs for military recruits” (Dorn 535). These changes reverberated even at Carroll College, a small private institution in southeastern Wisconsin.

From 1942 to 1944 Carroll College hosted hundreds of Army Air Force cadets as they trained for active duty (Langill 190). These new recruits had a profound impact on the lives of civilian  students. While some changes were positive, many reports gathered from students found the cadets' presence distracting-sometimes even disruptive. Carroll College exemplifies how deeply the war effort colored everyday life and local culture.

Of course, many historians have written about the American home front during WWII. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans feared more assaults by Axis powers, but also wanted to avenge those who had fallen in Hawaii (Zimm, 2011).  While these sources provide context for this exhibit, we musr take this information with a grain of salt, as most of them rely primarily on U.S. government documents and propaganda. This exhibit expands those narratives by focusing on the words and images of everyday people--the students and faculty of Carroll College. Student writings, photographs and other documents show how even life in the "ivory tower" was changed during the Second World War.