Despite a reported drop in many colleges throughout the country, the three Reserve Officers Training Corps units at Harvard have shown a rise in enrollments of their freshman classes this year, it was learned yesterday.
In addition, the Army ROTC unit, now operating under a new curriculum, has had many requests by sophomores to enter the unit. Col. Trevor N. Dupuy, professor of Military Science and Tactics, said he has allowed four sophomores into the program, on the condition that they double up in ROTC course during the fall of their junior year.
The Army, which is generally considered the largest unit here, reported that 77 freshmen have been accepted as first year ROTC students. This makes the Class of '59 the largest class in the Army unit. There are 64 seniors, 41 juniors, and 51 sophomores registered.
Rise Not Unexpected
Dupuy believed that the rise in enrollment is not unexpected, but is a normal deviation away from the downward trend which follows after a war. He pointed to the fact that during the 1930's ROTC enrollment at the College had all time highs.
The Air Force unit, perennially the smallest of the three services, showed an exceptional rise this year over the past two. Its freshman class of 37 is 21 more than the sophomore class. There are only seven juniors in the unit, but a high number of seniors--37. All juniors and seniors in AFROTC must agree to be flight candidates.
Under its new commander, Col. Waldo B. Jones, the unit went all out this fall to increase its size. It improved its brochure, and set up an exhibit in Burr Hall.
The Naval ROTC also showed an increase in its first year class. NROTC is composed of both Regular candidates--those students whose tuition is paid for by the Navy--and Contract students--those who spend only one summer with the Navy and who do not receive Navy scholarships.
Capt. John F. Galagher, professor of Naval Science and Naval Property Custodian, said that the total number of students enrolled in NROTC is not definite yet, but will be about 280.
Read more in News
IN AGREEMENT