Collection ID: C101
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
United States. Naval Training School (Indiana University)
Abstract:
On July 15, 1942 Indiana University welcomed 200 Navy yeomen to campus to participate in the Naval Training School. In October of 1942 WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) arrived on campus for navy storekeepers training. By May 1944 the Naval Training School had trained 5008 Navy yeomen and storekeepers. The school would be closed one month later. This collection consists of manuals, syllabi, student information, naval school publications, administrative materials, and the correspondences of the education director of the Navy training school Elvin S. Eyster and Robert T. Ittner, assistant to President Herman B Wells.
Extent:
9.2 cubic feet (10 rc, 1 dc)
Language:
Materials are in English
Preferred citation:

[Item], United States Naval Training School records, Collection C101, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

The Naval Reserve Officers Training Program at Indiana University can be said to have had its beginnings fourteen students enrolled as midshipmen in the N.R.O.T.C. at Northwestern University, stimulating interest at Indiana University in developing a naval training program of its own. IU's first step was to start a Naval V-1 training program which admitted freshmen and sophomores and gave them two years' deferment while they studied with the possibility of passing a comprehensive examination at the end and transferring to the more advanced V-7 program. In July 1942, IU welcomed 200 yeomen to the campus for four months of training. North Hall was transformed into a "ship" to accommodate them; students who had been living in the hall were moved to houses along "Sorority Alley" (now the location for Ballantine and Jordan Halls). The two-student rooms became "cabins" housing six yeomen apiece, and a sick bay was established. The university campus became a "ship," and Bloomington was the "Shore." While the Navy retained military control over the trainees, courses in Naval business and clerical methods were taught by IU faculty and held in the Business School where 35 classrooms were pre-empted for the program with enrollment expected to reach as many as 1,200 yeomen. Classes were practical and covered a wide range of subjects, such as disbursement, provisions, general storekeeping, clothing and small stores, aviation, typewriting, and English.

In June 1942 Indiana University was converted into a training facility for Coast Guard SPARS, with WAVES in the Navy Women's Reserves arriving soon after. In addition to the male recruits there would be 1,200 female SPARS and WAVES. They took over the rest of the Men's Residence Center (now the Collins Living-Learning Center), displacing even more students to the houses along Sorority Alley. The women were given more room than the men with only four assigned per room and, in addition to their coursework, were required to devote one hour a day to physical exercise. During "Liberty," the SPARS and WAVES could take advantage of university events such as concerts, plays, and lectures. They also had access to the Union and many other university facilities. Section and battalion parties, picnics, sings and meetings were also held during liberty time.

By May 1944 the university had trained nearly 5,000 yeomen and storekeepers of both sexes for the Navy and Marine Corps. A month later the naval program was officially closed.

[History taken largely from Thomas D. Clark, Indiana University: Midwestern Pioneer, vols. I-III, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1973.]

Scope and Content:

The United States Naval Training School records span the period from 1942-1948 and are arranged into six series: Course materials, Evaluations, Faculty materials, Publications, Correspondence, and Student transcripts and personal information.

Course materials is the largest series of the collection consisting of 92 folders and spanning six boxes. The series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the courses taught at the naval training school. These includes: Aviation, Clothing and Small Stores, English and Correspondence, General Store Keeping, Navy Disbursing, Naval Organization, Payment and Navy Personnel, Provisions, Store keepers Labs, Ship Store, Short hand, Supply training, Spelling and English, Typing. Materials in this series span the period from 1940-1944.

The Evaluations series consists of 12 folders of examinations for the courses taught at the naval training school and the naval training schools own internal review of the school. Materials in this series span the period from 1942-1944.

The Naval Training School Instructors' materials series consists of 20 folders of records used by the staff of the naval training school. This includes staff publications, class schedules, payroll information, and other administrative information including graduation diplomas and materials that would be utilized by the staff. Materials in this series span the period from 1942-1944.

The Publications series consists of 12 folders of publications utilized at the United States Naval Training School and spans the period from 1940-1946. These publications include manuals issued by the United States Navy, promotional materials produced by the school itself including brochures and graduation programs, newspaper articles and clippings and student publications including "The Yeomen", "The Quill", "Two Years at Sea Indiana University Naval Training School", and "News and Views Through the Porthole of the U.S.N.T.S. Indiana University." This series also includes "The TRADIV Letter" from December 1942-January 1944. Also included in this series is the manuscript for United States Naval Training School (Storekeeper) published in 1944.

The Correspondence series is comprised of 3 folders of the correspondences of both Elvin S. Eyster, the Education Director of the Naval Training School, and Robert T. Ittner, assistant to the President of Indiana University. Materials in this series span the period from 1942-1948. Also included in this series is a correspondence sent out from the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation to the commandants of all naval districts.

Student transcripts and personal information consists of 3 folders of student personal information files including name, age, sex, religion, birthdate, address, marital status, and naval service information. It also includes 6 folders of student transcripts requests and letters of recommendation. The materials in this series span the period from 1942-1970. The records in this series containing confidential, personal information are restricted and closed.

Acquisition information:
Accession numbers: 0395, 2001/042
Appraisal information:

For this collection we removed only items of duplication and items that were not associated with the Naval Training School at IU. This collection was also consolidated with a previous U.S. Naval Training school collection.

Custodial history:

The majority of the collection was given to the archives on May 15, 2001 by Marilyn Crawford as part of her husband's papers, T. James Crawford.

Processing information:

Processed by Nolan A. Eller.

Completed in 2012.

Arrangement:

Collection is organized into six series: Course materials, Evaluations, Faculty materials, Publications, Correspondence, and Student transcripts and personal information

Online content

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Student Transcripts and Letters of Recommendations, and Personal Information are restricted.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

Copyrights for records originating with Indiana University administrative units, departments, and other offices are held by the Trustees of Indiana University. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.

The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], United States Naval Training School records, Collection C101, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-1127
archives@indiana.edu