What Are Vets Like?
In July 1945, William J. Bender '27, present Counsellor for Veterans, took over his job and made preparations to handle tire vast numbers of veterans who would apply for admission during what was expected to be the peak years of 1945 and 1946. With six assistant counsellors, a staff of over 60 persons, and supervision of a nursery for veterans' children, an agency for veterans' wives, and a housing office to help accommodate married veterans, in addition to the operation of the general office, the Counsellor has processed the 3,981 veterans now enrolled in the University. Over 1,200 letters each week now pour into the Counsellors office; in addition, 250 personal interviews are held each week.
What are the veteran students like? One spokesman in the Counsellor's office, Francis B. McCarthy '27, says the young veteran feels old and the older veteran feels young. "Many men who could return to college and finish not more than two or three years later than their normal graduation date are holding back, looking for jobs," he says, "while older men seem to think they still have time for education."
Only the resuts of preliminary surveys are available, but, generally, war seems to have brought about a change in the outlook of many students, as evidenced in their choice of studies. Some who were practical-minded have grown idealistic; some of the idealists have become practical. A third group apparently took the stresses of conflict in stride, emerging matured but essentially unchanged.
Government Popular
Business, law, engineering, foreign service, and medicine courses are very popular. "One of the major disillusionments likely to come to the veteran who has served as a medical corpsman or in one of the mechanical branches of the services would be to find he lacks the scholastic aptitude to become a doctor or an engineer, that he can be a technician but not a professional man. He must be protected against that disillusionment by guidance," says McCarthy.
The veteran's interest in foreign affairs and public administration and his determination to "prevent another war" are hopeful portents for America and the world, according to McCarthy.