To announce and highlight the processing and availability of the Records of the Students’ Army Training Corps, the URI Archives Presents 

THE SATC (WWI) and ASTP (WWII) ON THE CAMPUS of Rhode Island State College

Exhibit 2nd floor, Library through March, 2004

MILITARY ON THE CAMPUS

In The University of Rhode Island, a History of Land-Grant Education in Rhode Island, Herman Eschenbacher writes:
"In addition to the concentration in the basic sciences and the strong vocational orientation that permeated the curriculum, solidarity was accentuated by the program of military science required by the Federal Act of 1862."

On November 1, 1894, President Grover Cleveland appointed Captain W. Wotherspoon, of the 12th Infantry, to teach both military science and tactics. All male students in good health were required to take this course which provided instruction in the duties of a soldier, including drilling in infantry and artillery.

Eschenbacher went on to write:
"The recruits soon discovered that what masqueraded under the glamorous title of instruction in military science and tactics was in reality three hours a week of setting up exercises, left and right facing, and marching in columns." On the strength of Wotherspoon’s dynamic personality the program did flourish.  It grew to offer logistics, military history, surveying, map reading, among other classes.

Captain Wotherspoon was reassigned for duty in the Philippines in 1898 and later went on to become a Major General and the Army Chief of Staff in WWI. It was not until 1900 that the College was able to muster the required 100 students to receive a resident officer to manage the military training program. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) was established in 1916.   

In addition to hosting ROTC students, during the two World Wars Rhode Island State College, along with other colleges and universities, hosted programs to train students recruited to fill many needed war time positions.  These programs were the Students’ Army Training Corps during WWI and the Army Specialized Training Corps for WWII.

STUDENTS ARMY TRAINING CORPS

During World War I, 1914-1919, participating colleges and universities joined with the War Department to create a Students’ Army Training Corps (SATC).

The contract concluded between the College and the War Department in April 1918 called for the training of about 250 drafted men during period of eight weeks to commence on May 7, 1918. (Eschenbacher, p 191.)

Students took part in courses such as automotive mechanics, carpentry, drafting, languages and nursing.  Special effort was made in the program to attract and train nurses.   The program was ended in December 1918, one month after the end of WWI and cost the college according to President Edwards $22,464.43 for conducting this war work.

ARMY SPECIALIZED TRAINING PROGRAM

During WWII the College was again asked to contribute to the war effort in the form of  The Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP).  The program was established to offer accelerated training to give participants the opportunity to graduate college in three, rather than four, years.  This not only decreased the necessary college time for Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) students working toward an officer’s commission, but also allowed other graduates the opportunity to join the war effort one year earlier.  The fields of study included engineering, agriculture, science, business administration and home economics. 

The Specialized Training Program of the Army of the United States Service Command, Unit 1148 held its first, and only, graduation exercises on March 25, 1944 in Edwards Hall on the campus of Rhode Island State College.

In 1944, citing military necessity, the U.S. Army announced its intention to remove the 110,000 student trainees from participating programs on all U.S. campuses.  The U.S. Army then called the students to active duty.  According to a 1944 letter from the Adjutant General, Major General, J.A. Ulio, this action was designed to compensate for current military personnel shortages.   The removal of students caused grave financial consequences to colleges and universities, in the United States , already facing reduced enrollment caused by mandatory military service and fewer college deferments. In order to offset the financial result of the curtailment in enrollment in the Army Specialized Training Program, Rhode Island State College President, Carl R. Woodward (1941-1958), campaigned to establish the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program on campus.

His efforts proved unsuccessful. Colonel Morton Smith, Director of the Army Specialized Training Division, First Service Command, informed President Woodward in a 1944 letter that the enlistment in the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program was not high enough to insure that Rhode Island State College have a reserve program.

The University of Rhode Island a History of Land-Grant Education in Rhode Island by Herman F. Eschenbacher, New York , Appleton-Century-Crofts [1967] provides historical context and commentary to both the SATC and ASTP programs as well as the history of the military on the campus.

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