This September marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II – A conflict that reshaped many aspects of American life, from industrial production and women in the workforce to urban migration and higher education. In commemoration of this anniversary, Wheaton Archives & Special Collections features photographs, clippings, and other materials from the Wheaton College Archives that document the experience of the Wheaton College home-front from 1941 to 1945.
Like much of the country at the start of 1941, Wheaton faculty and students were divided on America’s appropriate role in the European and Pacific wars. Debates on the growing conflict appeared in dueling opinion pieces in the Wheaton Record and as topics for lectures and featured speakers. However, for most of 1941, the possibility of America entering the war lingered only as a shadow over the busy routines of campus life. When the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor was attacked at the close of the year, the hypothetical quickly became reality. On December 8, 1941, students, faculty, and staff gathered together in Pierce Chapel to hear President Franklin Roosevelt’s special radio broadcast requesting a Congressional declaration of war.
From the Vault 