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Show but war disrupted utah just as veterans of Normandy and Luzon were framing their diplomas and hanging out their shingles, the uneasy postwar peace dissolved into a new conflict. Before school started in the fall, a number of students had already traded their slacks and levis for olive drab or navy blue, and enrollment dropped noticeably. However, the national government, recog-nizing the need for well-trained personnel, granted deferments to all students in good standing at the University. R.O.T.C. units also provided opportunities to combine fur-ther education with military training. Under this plan, those who qualified took, in adi-don to their regular course, special classes in military science. During the summer they gained experience by going on cruises or to training camps. To help students continue school as long as possible, the University set up the Committee of Student Deferment, headed by Dr. Thomas L. Broadbent. Those eligible for military service contacted this committee, which worked so closely with the Selective Service Board that, according to Dr. Broad-bent, "to the knowledge of the University, there is not a single case of a student being inducted into the armed forces who was eligible for a postponement." The attitude of the administration was summed up by President Olpin when he said, "The very best way any young person can prepare to serve both his country and himself is to stay in school / at the present time." 388 |
