Having spent years in the military, theveterans in the Class of 1949 were often severalyears older than their classmates, and somestudents felt this difference acutely.

"There is a vast difference between being 18and 19 or being 21, 22 or 23, extraordinarily soif you've led a platoon or something like that,"says Foote who entered the college at age 21.

The experiences of World War II, and in somecases the responsibility of caring for a family,meant that veterans entered the University withmature attitudes.

Indeed, Wilbur J. Bender '27, the Counselor forVeterans and later Dean of the College, praisedthe returning servicemen in the Harvard AlumniBulletin in 1947.

"Our veterans are easily the most experienced,most mature, most serious and hardworking group ofstudents Harvard has ever seen," he wrote.

Many veterans viewed the war as a soberingexperience and emerged with a strong sense ofduty.

"We were fresh out of the war," says Charles M.Zettek '49. "You go through that kind ofstuff...when you come back, you're ready to work.You say, 'I want to do something.'"

While the war instilled the veterans withdiscipline and experience, the GI Bill gave themthe chance to apply that dedication to theirstudies, and the veterans sought to take fulladvantage of it.

"I took as much as I could take and worked ashard as I could work," says Goodman. "I had notime to fritter away."

Even the students straight out of high schoolnoticed the work ethic and drive of the veterans.Joel Raphaelson '49, like a large minority of hisclassmates, was too young to serve in the war. Hegraduated high school in 1945 at age 16 andimmediately matriculated to the College.

"The main thing that I felt was that [theveterans] were really motivated," says Raphaelson."They didn't kind of drift into college as mostpeople do-they really wanted to go to college."

However, the separation between veterans andnon-veterans was not felt universally.

"I didn't feel any distinction really," saysHerbert R. Waite '49, while Zettek says he felt"absolutely no" barrier.

Whatever the strength of the division, therewas a general recognition that the veterans were aserious crowd.

Foote notes that at one point, the deans had toadmonish the veterans to have more fun.