The war affected many facets of college life. Like other colleges,
Stout was involved in training programs even before the country was actually
at war. Defense training classes started in 1940. A pilot training program
was also inaugurated through the Civil Aeronautics Authority with ground
training provided at the Dunn County airport. By 1942, the defense training
shops were operating 24 hours a day. Fifty Stout junior and senior men were
called to train technical teachers at Rantoul and at the Navy Pier in Chicago,
and Floyd Keith was called from the faculty to take charge of all instruction
in metals at the Navy Pier. A Navy V-5 Flight Training program was in operation
at Stout.
President Nelson made an effort to have Stout designated as a training center
for Army and Navy recruits. To Earle Grinnell he wrote in August 1943, "this
has been the hardest, toughest, most discouraging year of the many I have
taught. I have wished many times that I had quit five years ago...The community
is unhappy because the streets aren't crowded with soldiers. The faculty
was uneasy fearing loss of a job."
The school felt war conditions in other ways. "Our cafeteria is far
from being immune to food rationing," said the Stoutonia in April 1943.
"To date, the amount of processed foods including canned goods, frozen
foods and small package foods has been cut 75 percent, 43 points per person
are now allowed. Ninety-three points a month for each person are allowed
by the ration board for meats, fats and butter."
The faculty, too, was affected by the war in various ways. Robert Antrim
died in service in Alaska. As student enrollment went down, the administration
found it difficult to find money to hold the staff.
Source: A History of Stout State University
(1893-1966) by Dwight Agnew
