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(H)our History Lesson: Women in the War Industry: WWII Connections to the Pensacola Vocational School

Black and white photo of a woman in button down and pants pulling a chain attached to an engine
“Aviation Machinist’s Mate Elizabeth Abercrombie: Uses a chain fall to lift a radial aircraft engine, at a Naval Air Station during World War II.”

Credit: Official U.S. Navy Photograph; National Archives

About this Lesson

This lesson is part of a series teaching about the World War II home front, with Pensacola and Escambia County designated as an American World War II Heritage City. The lesson contains three primary reading sources and photos to contribute to learners’ understandings about the role of the Pensacola Vocational School in training home front war workers, and particularly women.

Women worked and served in many ways in Pensacola and Escambia County during World War II. The Pensacola Vocational School, built in 1942, was one site that contributed to training women for jobs that contributed to the war efforts. Those who trained at the school were employed at military sites such as Naval Air station Pensacola, and industry such as the Smith Shipyards, Inc., and Newport Industries.

Objectives:

  1. Explain why women entered Pensacola’s industry workforce, and the importance of this to home front efforts.
  2. Describe the experiences of women working on the home front in Pensacola, with details such as workplace safety, living conditions, types of jobs, challenges, and benefits.
  3. Compare historical perspectives on women in the workforce during World War II.

Materials for Students:

  1. Photos 1- 6
  2. Readings 1, 2, 3 (Primary Sources)
  3. Recommended: Map of Pensacola and Escambia Co.
  4. Extension: Rosie the Riveter

Getting Started: Essential Question

How did the Pensacola Vocational School and those who trained there, particularly women, contribute to the home front efforts?

Read to Connect

Black and white photo of men seated at a long table with their backs to the camera wearing headphones. A man in uniform stands at one end of the table
Photo 3: “Students Learn Morse Code—Forty civilian air patrol cadets are pictured above taking instruction in morse code at the Pensacola Vocational school."

May 14, 1944, Pensacola News Journal

By the numbers:

Background: When considering these numbers, view them with a critical lens. The Pensacola Vocational School was segregated. One vocational school for African Americans was the Florida Normal and Industrial School in St. Augustine, Florida. (This school surpassed Pensacola’s in total number of full-time trainees.)

  • Pensacola Vocational School: 1 of 20 centers in the state in December 1944

  • From July 1, 1943 to December 19, 1944: 8,866 individuals received daytime training across the state of Florida on a pre-employment basis for essential war jobs (including both white and African American individuals).

  • The Pensacola Vocational School was segregated. They trained 784 from July 1943-December 1944, which was the third highest total, behind Tampa and the Florida Normal and Industrial School (for African American trainees).

  • Evening trainees at Pensacola Vocational School: 1,137 trainees for those already employed in essential jobs

  • In December 1944, more than 100 people were in training at the Pensacola school for assembly and repair department at the Naval Air station.

Source: “Thousands Get Trade Training: Vocational School is Helping Here,” Pensacola News Journal (December 19, 1944), p. 3

Quotation to consider:

“At the present time, women are answering their country’s call and availing themselves of training, as is indicated by the fact that at least 80 per cent of the present employment trainees are women. The vocational school is Pensacola’s vocational school. The doors are open, and an invitation is extended to everyone to visit the school and shops and learn more about what is being done in this area for Pensacolians along the lines of vocational training and more particularly so in vocational training for war production workers.”

  • “Vocational Training Soars from Humble Beginning Here to Course for Many Hundreds” Pensacola News Journal (February 25, 1943

Black and white grainy photograph of groups of women standing over devices on tables. Three men stand in the crowd.
Photo 2:  “Learn Machine Tools—A group of employees of the assembly and repair shops receiving training in the local vocational school. The A and R officer in charge at the school is Lt. (jg) J. W. Gadel.”

Pensacola News Journal, December 24, 1944, p. 14.

Student Activities:

Questions for Reading 1 and Photos 1-4

  1. Why were women needed in defense work?
  2. What skills could be learned at the Pensacola trade school? Why were these trades important?
  3. What does the author's use of the phrase "woman's war" suggest about the changing role of women in society during World War II?
  4. How does the author's portrayal of the women in the trade school challenge the traditional stereotypes of women at the time?

Questions for Reading 2 and Photos 5-6

  1. How was “Rosie the Riveter” described?
  2. Who were the “Rosies” of Pensacola the author is referring to?
  3. What was the purpose of the training programs at the vocational school?
  4. Why was the vocational school a source of pride for Pensacaola and Escambia County?

Questions for Reading 3

  1. What did Miss Ledbetter learn at the Pensacola Vocational School?
  2. How did Miss Ledbetter's training at the Pensacola Vocational School prepare her for her job at the Pensacola Naval Air Station?
  3. What advice does Miss Ledbetter give to the reader at the end of the text? How do you think her experiences shaped her perspective?
  4. Explain how Miss Ledbetter's story reflects the importance of vocational training during World War II to a.) the war effort, and b.) to women.

Lesson Closing

  • How do the primary sources in the lesson reflect the changing role of women in American society during World War II?

  • Answer the essential question: “How did the Pensacola Vocational School and those who trained there, particularly women, contribute to the home front efforts?”

Extension

Color photo of a young African American girl in blue coveralls and red bandana with white polk dots having her picture taken by an adult in blue coveralls with matching bandana in front of a speechbubble reading "We Can Do It!"
From a 2016 "Rosie Rally" at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park.

Credit: National Park Service (Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park)

Additional Resources

“17 Get Jobs At Navy Center from Vocational School: Men and Women Will be General Helpers in Air Mechanics.” Pensacola News Journal. November 7, 1943.

“Vocational Training Soars From Humble Beginning Here To Course for Many Hundreds.” Pensacola News Journal. February 25, 1942.

WEAR Staff. “Historic Pensacola School named to Statewide ‘11 to Save’ list.” WEAR News. July 29, 2020. https://weartv.com/news/local/historic-pensacola-school-named-to-statewide-11-to-save-list


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.


Last updated: July 3, 2024