City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Publications and Research Lehman College 1993 Making Waves in the Bronx: The Story of the U.S. Naval Training School (WR) at Hunter College Janet Butler Munch CUNY Lehman College How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/le_pubs/195 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] \ 8/:PJ:ORD PARK /3'/(. ·v·o. U.S. NAVAL TRAINING SCHOOL (WR) MAKING WAVES IN THE BRONX: BRONX, NEW YORK 63, N,Y. * THE STORY OF THE U.S. NAVAL t TRAINING SCHOOL .(WR) AT HUNTER COLLEGE Janet Butler Munch Severe manpower shortages, which resulted from fighting a war on two fronts, forced U.S. Navy officials to enlist women in· World War II. Precedent already existed for women serving in the ~ Navy since 11,275 womenl had contributed to the war effort in LJ ::i World War I. Women at that time received no formal indoctrina­ ~ ~ tion nor was any fom1al organization established. ~ 'q: There was considerable opposition to admitting women into ~ "this man's Navy" during World War II and a Women's Reserve LJ::::=========='J ~ had few champions among the Navy's higher echelons. Congress, WEST /9SYI STREET 0 public interest, and even advocacy from the National Federation Ir========~~IQ of Business and Professional Women's Clubs pressured the Navy ARMORY ..., IN 80llN/J$ ON .SPl:C'JAJ. O('CA.$/ONS into seriously pursuing the establishment of a Women's Reserve. Training women for onshore naval duty, it was reasoned, would U. S. Naval Training School (WR). free deskbound men for combat. Station buildings and boundaries. Courtesy of Lehman College Library of CUNY. Elizabeth Reynard, then a Barnard College professor of English, was commissioned by the Navy to explore the design of the pro­ gram, and she gave the Women's Reserve its acronym WAVES, standing for Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) 1 2 Janet Butler Munch Making WAVES in The Bronx: The Story of the U.S. Naval Training School 3 An advisory council, chaired by Dean Virginia G. Gildersleeve of fee of $200,000 made payable in monthly installments of Columbia University and consisting of prominent women educa; $16,666.67:1 tors from across the country, helped organize and establish stan; At a special meeting on January 8, 1943, the Executive Com­ <lards and procedures for the WAVES. The advisory council rec; mittee of the Board of Higher Education approved the use of ommended the appointment of Mildred McAfee, president of Hunter College's Bronx buildings as outlined in the January 5, Wellesley College, as director of the WAVES program. 1943, letter.S The "Navy Dept. Project, Hunter College," as the On June 30, 1942, the Women's Reserve of the U.S. Naval Board of Higher Education came to refer to the U.S. Navy Train­ Reserve was established. An enrollment quota of 11,000 was pro­ ing School (WR), was approved by the full board effective January jected: 10,000 for enlisted personnel and 1,000 for officers. Offi­ 25, 1943.6 cer indoctrination was given at Smith College and these women The Navy found the Hunter College site well suited for the became the administrators and teachers at the Women's Reserve Training School. Its four well-constructed stone buildings (Gillet schools. Enlisted personnel initially received basic training at Hall, Davis Hall, Gymnasium Building, and Student Hall) and Oklahoma Agricultural & Mechanical College (Stillwater), Iowa roomy campus could be adapted easily by the Navy for its adminis­ State Teacher's College (Cedar Falls), the University of Wiscon­ trative, testing, and orientation purposes. City and college offi­ sin (Madison), and at the University oflndiana (Bloomington). cials, too, were willing to make the campus available to the Navy. When it was found that naval indoctrination was inadequate, it Transportation facilities were excellent with two subway lines in was decided that a massive "boot camp" should be established to close proximity to the campus, and having a New York City loca­ effect better training and orientation. Finding a site which could tion was considered an asset for Navy recruiting purposes. accommodate some 6,000 persons at any one time was no easy Drilling and reviews were held at the nearby expansive Eighth task. When Texas State College for Women (Denton) rejected Regiment Armory (Kingsbridge Armory) of the New York State the idea of a naval training school, the Bronx campus of the all National Guard during inclement weather. Immediately south of female Hunter College was considered. That Elizabeth Reynard the campus, Walton High School provided an auditorium, which knew both Fiorello LaGuardia, mayor of New York City, and could seat 1,399. George N. Shuster, president of Hunter College, eased matters Since Hunter was a commuter college with no dormitories, the -considerably.3 The Navy approached both men informally regard­ housing of enlisted personnel and officers was the most critical ing the training school. Having patriotic motivations, both were problem faced by the Navy. Originally, it was thought that bar­ happy to assist in the Navy's efforts to bring the war to a close. racks might be built on the Hunter campm,. The idea was James J. Lyons, borough president of The Bronx, was also enthusi­ scrapped, however, because of the lack of sufficient shower facili­ astic about the Navy using the uptown Hunter campus. Indeed, ties on campus and the need for speedy establishment of the sta­ Lyon's own secretary, Margaret Persson, enlisted in the WAVES. tion. The Navy chose instead to use the authority of the Second On December 30, 1942, the secretary of the Navy authorized War Emergency Act to commandeer five- and six-story apartment the establishment of a boot camp at Hunter College. The Navy's buildings in the immediate area. The secretary of the Navy formal request and letter of intent regarding use of the Hunter requested the attorney general to institute condemnation proceed­ College Bronx division campus was sent to Mayor LaGuardia on ings on the first four apartment buildings commencing on January January 5, 1943. Building changes necessitated by combining 7, 1943. Additional condemnation proceedings were subsequent­ Hunter downtown and uptown programs were to be borne by the ly instituted until a total of seventeen buildings were finally taken Navy. Expenses incurred by the removal of laboratory equipment over for Navy barracks. Of these apartment buildings, ten were for the teaching of biology, chemistry, and physics were to be on University Avenue, two on Strong Street, two on Reservoir included. Additionally, the Navy was charged the annual rental Avenue, two on West 197th Street, and one on West 195th 4 Janet Butler Munch Making WAVES in The Bronx: The Story of the U.S. Naval Trainjng School 5 Street. Fourteen buildings were used for recruit barracks, two for (Coast Guard women). Afterwards, the women marched to the ship's company personnel (one for men and one for women), and IND subvvay for a fare-free, non-lltop ride co the Training Bchool the final building was for°'female officer quarters. in The Bronx. The American Women's Voluntary Services The Navy announced its intent to take over the Jerome Park manned some thirty-five information booths around the city, dis­ area apartment buildings on January 9, 1943, and, by January tributing enlistment applications and providing information on 11th, tenants received formal notification via memorandum from the WAVES and SPARS. Movie theaters and store windows pub­ E.J. Marquart, Rear Admiral, USN, Commandant, Third Naval licized the enlistment drive through special displays. District.7 Understandably upset at being uprooted from their Captain Amsden and his staff had the daunting task of estab­ homes by the Navy, tenants held protest meetings, but to no avail. lishing the largest naval boot camp in the country at the station In all, 613 families or 1,860 persons (not including about 100 peo­ which the Navy came to call the "U.S.S. Hunter." ple already in the armed forces) were evicted from their apart­ Virginia Gildersleeve, chairwoman of the Advisory Council for ments.s The Mayor's Committee oh Property Improvement assist­ the Women's Reserve, United States Navy, praised Captain Ams­ ed the tenants in relocation and paid their moving expenses. This den for his genius in planning the location and function of nearly fact did not, however, make up for the inconvenience or financial two hundred offices and departments at the newly established hardship of tenants. In a letter to the U.S. Navy dated February Training School. It was a plan which, she noted, was so "sound 8, 1943, Mrs. Margaret Tully of 80 Strong Street speaks of having and workable" that it "never thereafter had to be changed in any to "pay more rent" for her new apartment in order to "get out fundamental way."11 Gillet Hall housed the administrative offices, quick." She continues by protesting that "the U.S. Navy should and the medical and dental department. Davis Hall was the site at least pay my difference in rent ... I am a poor woman and some­ of training activities, the coffee shop Betty Boot, ship's service, thing should be done."9 the beauty shop Mona Monet, uniforming, and personnel classifi­ When the first five buildings were finally vacated on January cation. The Gym Building was for indoor athletics, swimming, 31 , 1943, the Navy had to work rapidly to clean, paint, and make and the neuro-psychiatry ward.