(H)our History Lesson: Military Training and Impacts on Higher Education on the Home Front in Tempe, Arizona, World War II Heritage City

Photo 1: Aviation students in class at AZ State Teachers College, 1943.

Arizona Memory Project.

About this Lesson

This lesson is part of a series about the World War II home front in Tempe, Arizona American World War II Heritage City. The lesson includes readings, such as newspaper articles, an oral history, and photographs, to help learners understand the role of stateside army aviation training and its impact on a local college in Tempe. It also explores the effects of wartime on careers and higher education, examining how societal shifts influenced educational and career opportunities, including for women, and contributed to changes in the broader educational landscape.

Objectives:

1. Describe the wartime impact on military and civilian experiences at colleges, such as the Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe.
2. Explain how career and training pathways during the war were shaped by both wartime demands and the anticipated needs of the postwar period.
3. Compare local, historical perspectives on service to synthesize and connect to larger wartime perspectives and themes.

Materials for Students:

1. Photos (can be displayed digitally)
2. Readings 1, 2, 3 (and optional extension)
3. Recommended: Map of Arizona with Tempe marked

Tempe, AZ: World War II Herita...

17 Images

This album accompanies Tempe, AZ: A World War II Heritage City Lesson Collection. They are part of Teaching with Historic Places.

Teacher Tip: The images in the Tempe Gallery are labeled with the number this lesson appears in the sequence (This lesson is "Lesson 1") and the image title. The high quality images in the gallery can be used for your classroom slides or for students to do close analysis.

Getting Started: Essential Question

How did wartime demands shape the home front educational experiences and career opportunities of military personnel and civilian students in Tempe?

Readings to Connect

Reading 1: Newspaper Article, "Air Students Get Rigorous Army Course"

Background: The Army Air Corps College Training Program at Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe began on February 15, 1943. April 1943 was the first month of flying training at Sky Harbor Airport. The training program included aviation students from other Allied forces. This included aviation cadets at nearby Falcon Field. Falcon Field, established in 1941 in Mesa, Arizona, specifically trained British Royal Air Force (RAF) cadets and a few cadets from other allied nations.  

[Note: Other service members training in the area included combat desert training (1941-1943) at what would later become the prisoner of war camp at Papago Park (lesson link). Service members would also later be stationed at the park to run operations and guard the camp.] 

The Arizona Republic (Phoenix), August 25, 1943

That favorite air corps preflight classroom joke - “You stoop over to pick up your pencil and miss a year of college algebra” - might well apply in describing the academic work of aviation students in the 315th College Training Detachment, stationed at Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe.

It is here that potential second lieutenants and flight officers receive rigid preflight courses of military and academic nature, under direction of Lt. John D. Hardie, who recently replaced Maj. James D. McWilliams as the post commanding officer. Major McWilliams was transferred to the Coe College Training Detachment in Cedar Rapids, Ia.

The 315th and similar training detachments throughout the United States were established to furnish future pilots, bombardiers, and navigators, who had little or no college education, with necessary courses, and to ‘refresh’ those men fortunate enough to have had college training.

Fast Training

Here, aviation students entrain for a three- to five-month period, academically receiving the equivalent of 22 college hours which is much more than the amount of credits taken by the average pre-war college student in the same amount of time. During their last month the students concentrate upon learning to fly; each man receives 10 hours of dual instruction at Sky Harbor.

The pre-flighters receive courses in mathematics, physics, English, history, geography, first aid, and physical education from members of the college faculty, while they get instruction in military indoctrination and flying from army air corps officers and Civil Aeronautics Administration personnel.

Arizona State still conducts classes for college students, as well as for the air corps trainees. But there is no intermingling. The aviation students live in the campus dormitories and are organized in flights which march to and from classes in formation.

Military Procedure

A completely military procedure is maintained by officers of the post. Among other things, students stand at attention when entering the classroom until asked to be seated. The entire class period is conducted in a military manner.

A full program for the students has been planned for each day. Beginning with reveille at 6:30 a.m., the men eat breakfast at 7, attend classes from 8 to 1 p.m.; eat from 1-2; return to classes until 6; eat from 6:15 to 7; attend class until 9; study until 11, then retire.

During the day the student receives one or more free periods.

Student officers are selected after the first month of training. During that month, the squadron and flight leaders are rotated and the student officers finally selected are those who have shown themselves to be efficient leaders and outstanding students.

Aviation students are allowed passes from 3 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Those men who have commenced their last month receive overnight passes from 3 p.m. Saturday to 4 p.m. Sunday. These passes may be canceled and replaced by duty tours if a student receives more than five demerits in any one week. Gigs (or demerits) are given on poor inspection results, class conduct, personal appearance, and general attitude.

Program Well-Rounded

A complete and well-rounded program of military indoctrination, academic work, exercise, and brief leisure time activities is scheduled for the army students.

The men have movies or stage shows once weekly. A dance is given once a month in the Moeur Activity building. The post has an orchestra and a band. The men put out a printed biweekly newspaper. A canteen has been established where aviation students can get their personal articles, cigarettes, soda water, and ice cream at reduced prices.

Civilians have the opportunity of watching retreat ceremonies at 6 p.m. daily except Saturday in front of the Liberal Arts building on the college campus, and a wing review, alternately on the lawn behind the women’s and men’s gymnasiums, on the campus at 5:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, followed immediately by retreat.

Reading 2: Oral History, Richard Dominguez

Background: Richard J. Dominguez (1924 – 2018) served in World War II and the Korean War. Dominguez wanted to join the Air Corps, but after a short time in training was moved to be a paratrooper in the 11th Airborne. He served as part of General MacArthur’s bodyguard detail on the USS Missouri for the Japanese surrender. The full oral history is archived with the Veterans History Project by the Library of Congress. The following excerpt is to share of his experience at the Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe, Arizona. 

Richard J. Dominguez: . . . I got transferred into the Air Corps. . . It was part of the Army and not the Air Force. It was the Air Corps. So, we got sent to Texas to a base, and then assigned to a school. They had these college training detachments which... the men, there weren’t any women at the time, we didn’t have any women in our group...  

The men that were going to be going to the Air Corps training or to be a flyer, or a bombardier, or an engineer, or meteorologist, or whatever you’re going to do, they were sent to college to take college courses. And they had several of these - these colleges all over the United States where they sent these groups of men.  

And I was sent to Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe. And you know, it was all new. We were in uniform, we had a barracks. Well, we lived in the dorms actually, but there was a small squadron, small groups of men. We were the last ones in.   

But the Ladies – it was all ladies in those days. I don’t think there were many men becoming teachers in those days. It was all ladies, young ladies. So that was a good part of it. We went to some of their dances they had.  

But we go to class every day.  Go to class in the morning. Take a break for lunch. Go back to class.   

(What year was this?)  This was in ‘44. 

They were regular college courses and professors from there and then the idea was to prepare you for your future. Whatever you were going to do. You didn’t know what you were going to be. ...  

You didn’t know what role you play in the Air Corps.  

But we also had, I also did - We all had 10 hours of flying instruction in a Piper Cub a little one prop little thing out of Phoenix. There was an airport in Phoenix. I got to have 10 hours.  

I still have my log that the instructor writes down one hour at a time. And we learned to... I never flew solo, but we learned to fly and land and take off, and it was good.   

But, So what happened?   

I guess they had too many of these classes going on. They needed people, they needed men in Europe. The war in Europe was escalating. So, they pulled out, out of all these schools.... The first ones that were there stayed.... They pulled out the last couple of classes out of there. Our class was one of them. So, we had to go back to the regular Army stuff.  That’s when I got sent to Texas to the Armored Infantry. . . .” 

Reading 3: Newspaper Article, "College Offers Wide Scope of War-Geared Curriculums"

The Arizona Republic, August 25, 1943 

The United States Office of Education has estimated that in September 100,000 schools will be without competent teachers. The administrative faculty members of Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe, as they announce the war-geared curriculums for the 1943-44 year, are urging students to continue their education and enter teaching as a patriotic service. 

In addition to the usual courses offered, Tempe College has planned new courses to meet the needs of the war emergency. . . . 

A few of these special curriculums: 

Commerce 

Wartime demands have created a multitude of new positions in government agencies, business and industry which require specially trained and competent personnel. To prepare persons for high-grade clerical, stenographic, secretarial and accounting positions, the commerce department has developed, in addition to its regular four-year curriculums, intensive curriculums designed to prepare students in a single year for work as typist-clerks, machine operators, stenographers, bookkeepers and general office workers. . . . 

There is a great shortage of nurses both in civil life and the armed services. The college offers a one-or two-year course designed to give a thorough basic training to those wishing to answer the government’s call for nurses. A second purpose is to train students who plan to go directly into civilian jobs where such scientific knowledge is an essential. 

Courses stressed are chemistry, botany, nutrition, zoology, human physiology, bacteriology, hygiene, anatomy, foods and sociology.  

Forrest E. Ostrander, professor of biological science, is adviser for students in this curriculum.  

Industrial Arts 

In all government work, as well as in private industry, men and women skilled in the trades are in great demand. This demand promises to continue for a long time after the close of the war.  

The industrial arts department aims to furnish young men and women the basic education and the 

Skilled technical training demanded in modern industry and in war service. One-, two-, three, and four-year courses are offered according to the needs of the student. Students may specialize in machine shop, woodworking, drafting, radio, sheet metal, welding, aeronautics and civilian pilot training. L.S. Neeb, head of the industrial arts department, is adviser. 

Home Economics 

Wartime living is characterized by new problems in home management, care of children, selection and preparation of foods under rationing and economic use of existing household equipment and furnishings. Throughout the offerings of the home economics department special consideration is given to preparing young people to meet these immediate problems of wartime living as well as to prepare for teaching and other attractive types of work by completing the four-year degree curriculums with a general major in home economics or an extended major leading to the Smith Hughes Vocational Certificate. . . .  

“History Made” picture of Nancy Frew, who became the first woman elected president of the AZ State Teachers College, “brought about by the war’s drain of man power from the campus.”

The Arizona Republic, August 25, 1943.

By the numbers:

As of October 16, 1940, one-fourth of the male students (183 individuals) at Arizona State Teachers College had registered for the Selective Service. (The Arizona Republic, October 17, 1940)

Within five days of this initial report, over 300 students and ten faculty members between the ages of 21 and 36 had registered for the draft. (The Arizona Republic, October 22, 1940)

In 1940, 18,633 were inducted in the Selective Service nationwide. The single highest year for Selective Service inductions during the war was 1943 with over 3.3 million men drafted. World War II had a total of over 10.1 million draftees from 1940 to 1946 out of 45 million registered.

Quotations to consider:

“September brought an innovation to the Arizona State Teachers College Campus. Late-going coeds returning with their escorts were startled with the unfamiliar ‘Halt, who goes there’ of a military guard system initiated with the approval of (University) President Gammage to halt all civilians passing through areas designated as military grounds.

The coming of the new year brought no little confusion to the campus at Tempe when Governor Osborn announced the change of time for the state of Arizona to Mountain Standard. Since the War Department had declared all military installations would operate under War time, the detachment and the college found themselves facing different working hours, with civilian eleven o’clock classes being scheduled simultaneously with ten o’clock Army classes in the same room, the same professor, etc. From New Year’s to January 5th, at which time the Army rescinded its decree and ordered military installations to follow the state time, the academic coordinators at the college and the detachment again had their hands full, ironing out these conflicting schedules.”

- “3052 AAFABU Air Crew CT at Arizona State, Tempe,” printed after May 1944, exact date unknown

Aviation students marching to class at AZ State Teachers College, 1943.

Arizona Memory Project.

Student Activities

Questions for Reading 1, Quotations to Consider, and Photos

1. Examine the photos. How do they align, or differ, from what you think may be seen in college classrooms and living spaces?

2. What types of courses did the aviation students take at the college?

3. Describe the aviation students’ schedules.

4. Why would leisure programs and activities help create a “well-rounded” program for aviation students?

5. Consider the two quotations. What challenges did the college face in balancing the needs of both military and civilian students at the college?

Questions for Reading Two

1. Why was Dominguez sent to Tempe? What was the purpose of these schools?

2. What were some ways the training at Arizona State Teachers College may have been different than training at a traditional military base? Use details from Dominguez’s narrative.

3. What factors led to Dominguez being pulled from the college program and reassigned to the “regular” Army?

Questions for Reading Three

1. What shifts in student populations were seen at the college? (Ex. Gender, civilian and service members)

2. How did wartime affect women's educational paths and opportunities at the college?

3. What new types of jobs were in demand due to wartime needs?

4. How did wartime job demands impact the structure and offerings of higher education, such as at Arizona State Teachers College?

5. Why did the college also connect to postwar needs? What would be some of these needs in the postwar United States?

Building at AZ State Teachers College, 1943.

Arizona Memory Project.

Lesson Closing

How did wartime demands shape the home front educational and career experiences of military personnel and civilian students in Tempe?

Additional Resources

Additional Resources

“3052 AAFABU Air Crew CT at Arizona State, Tempe,” Archived by the Arizona Memory Project 

Selective Service System Historical Timeline 

World War II Navy Education at Flagstaff's Arizona State Teachers College by Intermountain Histories 

---

This lesson was written by Sarah Nestor Lane, an educator and consultant with the Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, funded by the National Council on Public History's cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.