DOCUMENT RESUME HE 000 100 ED 024 330 24 by-Olson, Keith W. A Historical Analysis of the G.I. Billand Its Relationship toHigher Education. Syracuse Univ., N.Y. Research Inst. Bureau of Research. Spons Agency-Office of Education(DHEW), Washington, D.C. Report No-CRP-S-436 Bureau No- BR-5-8386 Pub Date 68 Contract- OEC-6- 10- 104 Note- 23p. EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-$1.25 *Higher Education,*Military Personnel, Descriptors-Educational Opportunities,*Enrollment, FederalAid, *Opportunities, *Veterans Education Identifiers-*G I Bill the narrow interestsit A study of the G.I.Bill's genesis andreception reveals Designed as a reward toservicemen and as adevice wasoriginally intended to serve. impact upon economic effectsof demobilization,the Bill made a great to lessen the of opportunityunparalleled in the American higher education.() IT provided equality could Veterans demonstratedthat far more ofAmerican youth nation's history. (2) Veterans helped toalter the benefit from educationthan had previouslydone so. (3) and privateenrollments. (4) Popularattention,unprecedented balance between public the Bill forced are-examinationof the enrollments and theobvious success of (5) The married oblectives, facilitiesand methods ofthe highereducation system. accepted part ofacademic life. (6)Increased federal aid was student became an scholarships and 2 moreG.I. Bills. Neither made possible, especiallyfor construction, media anticipated itssignificance. The number the sponsor of theBill nor the popular and some attended collegeunder the Billfar exceeded expectations of G.I.s who educational standards.This proved to be educators fearedthe influx would lower underestimated inits another of many erroneousassumptions. TheC.I.Bill was broadest conceptionand in its operationaldetail. (JS) 4rt 17; and "A Historical Analysisof the G.I. Bill its Relationshipto HigherEducation" Af'n- Cooperative ResearchProject No. S-436 Keith W. Olson Syracuse UniversityResearch Institute 201 MarshallStreet Syracuse, NewYork 13210 1968 WELFARE U.S. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, EDUCATION & OFFICE OF EDUCATION RECEIVED FROM THE THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEENREPRODUCED EXACTLY AS POINTS OF VIEW OROPINIONS ;PERSON OR ORGANIZATIONORIGINATING IT. , 1 REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDUCATION ; STATEDDO NOT NECESSARILY POSITION OR POLICY. supported by theCooperative Research The researchreported herein was U.S. Departmentof Health,Education, Program of theOffice of Education, and Welfare. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.EDUCATION. AND WELFARE OE6000 (REV. 9.-66) ...yr-1....m....,mi.........m;iviv ERIC ACCESSION NO. ERICREPORT RESUME P) NOES iS DOCUMENTCOPYRIGHTED? YES 0 CLEARINGHOUSE RESUME DATE p. A. T.A. NO0 'ACCESSION NUMBER REPRODUCTION RELEASE? YES 06- 29- 68 ERIC )1 TITLE . to 30 G.I. Bill andits Relationship "A HistoricalAnalysis of the 01 Higher Education." 02 03 PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) . Olson, Keith W. SOURCE CODE 00 . INSTITUTION (SOURCE) Syracuse NewYork Syracuse UniversityResearch Institute ,00 i * SOURCE CODE REPORT/SERIES NO. 1C) OTHER SOURCE r 120 OTHER REPORT N. SOURCE CODE )30 OTHER SOURCE , 340 /4 OTHER REPORTNO. 350 NUMBER G&W:M.:a& ._.. ... CONTRACT/GRANT 400 PUBL. DATE PAGINATION, ETC. 500 14 pages -.--- 501 RETRIEVAL TERMS 600 . G.I. Bill . 601 Higher Education 602 Impact of WorldWar II 603 604 605 . 606 IDENTIFIERS 607 ABSTRACT , 800 and operationof the G.I.Bill A study of thecenesis reception, 801 its broadestconception and . indicates that it wasunderestimated in 802 detail. 803 in its opeeational 804 device tolei6en the tesigned as areWard toservicemen and as a 805 Bill's impact onhigher economic effects ofdemobilization, the 806 contribution todemobilization. education probablyequalled its 807 808 809 810 811 812 , 813 814 815 816 817 . 818 819' 820 : . 821 . 822 Act of 1944 that The provisionof theServicemen's Readjustment accomplished theobjectives of dealt with highereducation not only that results, generaland particular, its sponsorsbut also produced wereunexpected. the G.I. Billof Rights, re- The Act of 1944,better known as their memory ofthe depressionof flected its sponsorsself interest, the veterans ofWorld War I. President the 1930's, andtheir memory of the AmericanLegion playedthe major Franklin D.Roosevelt, who with concerned himselfwith post-war role in passageof the G.I.Bill, first A. Delano,chairman of education in July1942, when hisuncle, Frederic Board, urged him toundertake a"full- the NationalResources Planning Roosevelt declined onthe grounds fledged" study of post-warproblems. of divertingpeople's attention from that it wouldinclude "the danger told his unclethere was the winning ofthe war."Instead, Roosevelt preliminary examine- harm in a whollyunpublicized,'off the record' "1 later, however,Roosevelt made tion of thesubject Four months the post-wareducation of veterans. his first publicstatement about signed into lawthe SelectiveService On November 13,1942, the day he eighteen, Rooseveltannounced that a bill lowering thedraft age to under the auspicesof the War presidential"committee of educators, the programneeded to enable"the and NavyDepartments," would study interrupted to resumetheir schooling young menwhose educationhas been other the trainingand education of and afford equalopportunity for 2 their service in thearmed forces has come young menof ability after 2 opposition to draftingteenagers, Roosevelt to an end." Considering the about the educationof made a wisepolitical move byexpressing concern "the danger of divertingpeople's attention," the boys he wasabout to draft, to the contrary. to Rooseveltthe The National ResourcesPlanning Board presented June 30, 1943,while the recommendations of itsoff-the record study on EducationalOppOrtunities for public Armed ForcesCommittee on Postwar Osborn Committee inhonor of its Service Personnel,also known as the submitted itsPreliminary chairman Major GeneralFrederick H. Osborn, later.3 In a firesidechat Report to thePresident exactly onemonth people about the on July 28,1943, Rooseveltspoke to the American comprehensive programof progress ofthe war and alsocalled for a he transmittedthe Osborn benefits for veterans.Three months later its/ideas.When Report to Congressand urgedlegislation incorporating next JuneRoosevelt commentedthat he signed the G.I.Bill into law the of the recommendationsmade by me in it "substantiallycarries out most specifically in messagesto the Con- a speech onJuly 28, 1943,and more u4 1943. gress datedOctober 27, 1943and November 23, First, he Roosevelt wanted a G.I.Bill for at leastfour reasons. gratitude to itsreturning felt the country was"determined to show its opportunities."5 Second, veterans byproviding educationaland vocational Democratic nominationand else- Roosevelt, in his acceptanceof the 1944 aid to veterans wasgoodpolitics.6 where, demonstratedthat he realized warned Roosevelt'spersonal friend A presidentialaide, for example, once unless something isdone soon on the and adviser, HarryHopkins, "that 3 legislation for the educationof returning soldiers,the opposition may restock the nation's steal the thunder."7 Third, the President wanted to had depleted.And fourth, supply of college-educatedcitizens which the war Roosevelt viewed the G.I.Bill as a partial curefor postwar economic considered "something likethe problems. At one point Roosevelt even problem."8 C.C.C. program" to helpsolve the expected"post-war employment it satisfied Roosevelt's view of educationalaid to veterans waslimited: personnel; it was goodpolitics; the moral obligation hefelt toward service all veterans to and it would reduceunemployment. The initiative to assist do college work, earn theirdegrees, even those withthe minimum ability to he sub- did not come from thechief executive. Under the recommendations and women mitted to Congress only"a limited number of ex-service men receive a second, selected for their specialaptitudes" would be allowed to of the G.I. third,.and fourth yearofcollege09Roosevelt never conceived to the major problem Bill as anything but apractical political response of what to do with veterans. the G.I. Bill was equally The American Legion,whose contribution to generous bill substantial, campaigned andlobbied long and hard for a more Their reasons for doing than the Osborn Committeeand Roosevelt suggested. so, however, were morelimited. adopted a resolution At their convention inSeptember 1942, the Legion urging Congress to enactlegislation for the educationand training of the lack of Congressionalaction, veterans. A year later, impatient at On January 11, 1944, the convention established acommittee to write a bill. the first National Bennett Champ Clark, DemocraticSenator from Missouri and introduced the Legion Commander of the Legion,along with nine co-sponsors, 4 introduced a bill competedwith the bill bill in theSenate. The Legion which incor- Elbert D. Thomas,Democrat of Utah, month earlierby Senator Roosevelt signed abill in June1944 that porated theOsborn suggestions. the more generous but whichincluded most of contained featuresof both bills features demandedby the Legion. the credit in claimingits share of The Legion has neverbeen bashful and pub- 10 three-part article,written in 1949 for the G.I.Bill. In his blessingdof the National Magazine withthe lished in TheAmerican Legion Bill: "rhe this conclusionabout the G.I. Commander, DavidCamelon drew "11 drafted it, andfought for it. Legion conceivedit, the Legion Legion's activity onbehalf of Their was only onereasonbehind the the G.I. Bill wrote that"The idea behind veteraneducation, David Camelon the opportunity to give