Decommissioning the Navy V-12

Photograph of President Potter with the Navy V-12 Unit in front of Coxe Hall, possibly taken during the decommissioning ceremonies, ca. 1945.  Standing Behind President Potter and to the left are Virginia Lindberg, President of the Student Government of William Smith College, and Walter S. Mitchell, Vice President of the Hobart College Board of Control.  Taken from the Ed Knight scrapbook.

Newsletter addressed to Hobart and William Smith Alumni and Alumnae from the Development Committee, dated June 29, 1944, discussing the colleges current financial situation and future needs. Although the Navy V-12 Program made it possible for the colleges to continue through wartime, the income was not sufficient to meet normal depreciation charges.  

President Potter has written you about the serious financial position of the colleges.  So serious  is it, that if trustees and a few devoted alumni and friends had not pledged $65,000 during the past ninety days, the colleges would have had to close their doors this summer.

Click image to view full newsletter.

Newspaper article titled "Decommissioning Ceremonies Held" taken from the Herald, October 19, 1945.  Click image to view full article.

Photograph of the Navy V-12 Unit as it enters Trinity Church as part of the Commencement Procession, ca. 1944

The Navy V-12 Unit marching through campus, ca. 1943-1944.

As early as June, 1944, the colleges were preparing for the decline in Navy V-12 trainees and ultimate termination of the program, particularly in terms of their financial needs.  According to a newsletter addressed to all alumni and alumnae from the Development Committee, the Navy was already planning on scaling back their V-12 quotas.

The Navy has just informed the Colleges that on November 1st of this year, V-12 quotas throughout the country will be cut to about 75% of their present numbers.  A further reduction to 50% of present numbers, or possible complete termination of the program, may take place on March 1, 1945.  Therefore, within a few months, the colleges must be prepared to face the posssibility of operating with a war-time civilian enrollment of about one-third of normal.

At this time, the civilian enrollments had dwindled to approximately 50 men and 150 women.  Still, there was hope that after the war was over there would be "no lack of student material for both colleges" as thousands of young men and women returning from service would be encouraged to complete their eduction with the help of federal scholarship aid.

The Navy V-12 Program continued at Hobart College past the potential March 1st termination date and was formally decomissioned on Saturday, October 13, 1945.  More than 900 trainees had been members of the Hobart unit since it's establishment on July 1, 1943.  During the ceremony official commendation was expressed by Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on a scroll presented to the colleges.  The scroll read: "This mark of commendation is awarded by the Navy Department to Hobart and William Smith colleges for effective cooperation with the United States Navy in the training of officer candidates under the Navy V-12 program 1 July 1943 - 31 October 1945."  The scroll was presented to President Potter along with the battalion colors and the unit's American flag.