War Times: New Times, New Needs

Umrath Lounge (then a cafeteria) being used as a barrack during World War I

Umrath Lounge, now an event space, present day.

Though the US’s engagement in World War II was brief, WashU and Umrath in particular, felt the impact of the war and responded vigerously.¹ The campus was put on a wartime footing but major impacts did not show up on campus until 1918 when in April, 125 army enlistees arrived on campus for two months of training in the militarily useful arts.¹ The Student’s Army Training Corp began in fall of 1918 with WashU as an approved university where soldiers could be trained; nearly 1200 of these soldiers came to WashU, nearly the pre-war enrollment.¹ Many buildings were converted into barracks, including Umrath’s cafeteria, now called Umrath Loung and used as an event space (see left), and temporary buildings were constructed.¹ Very few of these students ever saw combat as efforts to combat the rising Influenza pandemic left many quarantined and the war came to an end in November.¹

World War II brought new challenges for WashU. In the leadup to the US’s entry into the war, ROTC training spiked on campus.¹ After Pearl Harbor, the US Army and Navy began to negotiate contracts with Universities to train officers.¹ Many reservist officers who were called up were returned to Universities, though rarely their own.¹ WashU was passed over by the Navy despite a rear admiral being an alum. WashU did win a contact from the army who sent many hundreds of officers through WashU during the war. During World War II, Umrath’s cafeteria, located what is now Umrath Lounge, was turned into a mess hall for soldier-students; it received high marks as a mess hall from the soldier-students though to handle the increased volume from the soldiers, meal times were staggered.¹ The food was more of a homestyle than “army chow.”¹ With many hundreds of extra students coming to campus for training during the war, the US Army, instead of building temporary housing or using off campus housing, doubled up soldiers in dorms, with Umrath and Prince halls housing air cadets, while the women were kicked out of McMillan for students in the intro engineering program and meteorologists were housed on fraternity row; Givens hall was converted into barracks in 1943.¹ Umrath met the challenges of World War II face on, changing to fill new niches.

1. Morrow, Ralph E. Washington University in St. Louis: A History. Missouri Historical Society Press, 1996. Pp. 274-278, 398-403.