U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School
Encyclopedia
The United States Navy Reserve Midshipmen's School, known as the Navy College Training Program, V-7, was announced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
on June 26, 1940, to recruit 36,000 naval reserve officers to command the vasty expanding fleet in preparation for the war effort. The majority of the junior officers who graduated from the schools were dedicated to operations in the Far East
, known as the Pacific Theater during World War II
.
During the years 1940 to 1945, graduates of the V-12 Navy College Training Program
; whose purpose was to grant bachelor's degrees to future officers, as well as "increased numbers" of enlisted men from the naval fleet, attended the new officer training midshipmen's schools which were located on several college campuses around the country. The apprentice seamen attended the program for 90-days after successful completion of a 30-day indoctrination course. Graduates of the schools were commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the majority entered into active duty with the U.S. fleet
.
This program of voluntary training was announced on June 26, 1940, by the President of the United States
, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Applicants were between the age of 19 and 27 and were required to meet the same "rigid physical requirements" as midshipmen in the United States Naval Academy
. The candidates were listed as apprentice seamen in the Naval Reserve
of the United States in a class designated as V-7. Midshipmen were required to have either a college degree, or the equivalent in practical experience, or to have successfully completed the Navy V-12 college curriculum
.
The goal of the program was to train 36,000 young officers quickly in order to meet the demands of the expanding naval fleet in preparation for World War II
. By March 1941, the Navy had only 18,000 officer personnel. Most of the officers who were commissioned were dedicated to operations in the Far East
where the navy was "forced to bear the full burden in the event of war."
The first class in the program was graduated from the reserve midshipmen's school in the battleship USS Illinois (BB-7)
in New York City
and 232 of the 264 commissioned junior officers reported for active duty. During December 1940, the second class to be commissioned in the midshipmen program graduated from Northwestern University
as did the third and fourth classes in 1941. The fifth class was graduated from the United States Naval Academy
in Annapolis, Maryland
.
and following a one-month indoctrination course as apprentice seaman, they attended a three-month course in the midshipmen's school. Upon completion of the program, candidates were awarded an ensign's commission and placed in active status. Instruction was provided in ordnance and gunnery, seamanship, navigation and engineering.
During 1941, admission requirements were changed and applicants were required to have attained a college degree as well as one course in plane trigonometry and one additional year of mathematics. The final deadline for college juniors, seniors and graduates who were single and under age 28 to sign up was May 1, 1942. After that day, only applicants between 17 and 20 where eligible for the program and they were enlisted in Class V-1 to complete their college courses.
The Navy announced on August 25, 1945, that no more students would be permitted to enter the naval reserve midshipmen (V-7) program. At that time, 5,000 midshipmen were in training and were permitted to complete their courses at Columbia University
, Notre Dame University, Cornell University
and at Fort Schuyler in New York State, as well as the United States Naval Academy
at Annapolis, Maryland
.
During the spring of 1940, U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipman School, Prairie State, was opened on board battleship USS Illinois (BB-7)
in New York City
under the leadership of commanding officer Captain John J. London. The first class that finished the midshipmen program during the early days of World War II
were graduates of the battleship. The class contained 264 men and 232 reported for active duty.
The second three-month class on the battleship began on November 22, 1940, after the men finished their initial training cruise that summer on USS New York (BB-34)
. A total of 480 junior officers from the class graduated in February 1941.
in New York, New York was opened on August 20, 1940. Columbia's Morningside Heights campus served as a training center and made use of 12 Columbia-owned buildings to house the midshipmen's school. The university also hosted a V-12 program which "trained doctors and dentists for military service."
By January 1943, there were 2,600 students enrolled in four-month long courses. That same month, the "Naval Lions," the schools first athletic team, made their debut in track and field championships at the Metropolitan A.A.U. meet.
Columbia was the largest midshipmen school in the country by late 1943, "turning out some 9,000 ensigns a year---more than ten times the number graduated from Annapolis in June 1943. The school "placed marks in the corridors" where thousands of "90-day-wonders" turned a "smart" 90-degree corner on their way to class."
The school graduated 23,000 ensigns before it closed.
in Ithaca, New York
, was opened on March 3, 1944, with Captain Burton W. Chippendale as commanding officer. The school had a capacity of 800 students. In August 1945, the Navy Department ordered discontinuance of the Midshipmen's School upon completion of the 18th class which had begun instruction on August 10, 1945. The last graduates of the school were commissioned on December 7, 1945, the fourth anniversary of Pearl Harbor
.
At the same time, Naval Indoctrination School at Camp MacDonough in Plattsburg, New York, opened on March 6, 1944, and was led by Commander Chauncey M. Loutrit. The duration of the instruction, which was required prior to attending a midshipmen's school, was a brief one-month and the class capacity was 2,500.
After the war, officer training was continued at Cornell in the NROTC unit which was established on November 1, 1945, and in the Diesel School for officers.
The U.S. Naval Reserves Midshipmen's School at Northwestern University
was established in September 1940, and was in operation until 1945. During World War II
, Northwestern's "stated objective" was to dedicate its full resources to aid in winning the war. The university also offered its facilities for use by the War Department
including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and the Civil Aeronautics Administration
. A total of 11 training programs in addition to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), established in 1926, were offered to potential military officers.
Following the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor
, Northwestern President Franklyn Bliss Snyder
telegraphed President Franklin D. Roosevelt
to volunteer the "entire resources of the University." The university admitted students who had finished three years of high school as well as instituting summer sessions to allow them to complete their degree requirements before the minimum draft age of 20. Notably, Northwestern switched its academic calendar
from a semester to a quarter system to facilitate these changes and this quarter system persisted after the war into the present day.
The V-7 Program midshipmen's school was the largest of the military programs in operation on the Chicago
campus and was established in the newly-constructed Abbott Hall dormitory in 1940. The cadets also made use of the shores of Lake Michigan
for training purposes.
This school graduated 25 classes of "90-day wonders" (a total of 26,750 ensigns) by the end of the war, including future President
John F. Kennedy
, who attended a separate "accelerated" two-month training program which was held for commissioned officers in 1941.
in Notre Dame, Indiana
was in operation by late 1942. The apprentice seamen attended the program for 90-days after successful completion of a 30-day indoctrination course.
A survey taken in October 1942, of 1,300 midshipmen, revealed that 75 percent participated in intercollegiate or advanced intramural athletics and that no fewer than 25 percent had won letters in intercollegiate competition.
The Navy built a new drill hall on the campus. Captain H. P. Burnett was the commanding officer of the school. On January 28, 1943, 1,200 more officers received were presented their diplomas and then sworn in as officers in the giant new hall.
in Northampton, Massachusetts
, was training grounds for junior officers of the Women's Reserve of the U.S. Naval Reserve (WAVES)
and was nicknamed "USS Northampton." On August 28, 1942, a total of 120 women reported to the school for training.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
on June 26, 1940, to recruit 36,000 naval reserve officers to command the vasty expanding fleet in preparation for the war effort. The majority of the junior officers who graduated from the schools were dedicated to operations in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, known as the Pacific Theater during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
During the years 1940 to 1945, graduates of the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
; whose purpose was to grant bachelor's degrees to future officers, as well as "increased numbers" of enlisted men from the naval fleet, attended the new officer training midshipmen's schools which were located on several college campuses around the country. The apprentice seamen attended the program for 90-days after successful completion of a 30-day indoctrination course. Graduates of the schools were commissioned as ensigns in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the majority entered into active duty with the U.S. fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
.
History
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Applicants were between the age of 19 and 27 and were required to meet the same "rigid physical requirements" as midshipmen in the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. The candidates were listed as apprentice seamen in the Naval Reserve
Naval Reserve
A Naval Reserve is the reserve body of a nation's Navy, typically called-upon in times of conflict. Naval Reserves include:* La réserve Marine * Royal Naval Reserve * Royal Australian Naval Reserve* Canadian Naval Reserve...
of the United States in a class designated as V-7. Midshipmen were required to have either a college degree, or the equivalent in practical experience, or to have successfully completed the Navy V-12 college curriculum
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
.
The goal of the program was to train 36,000 young officers quickly in order to meet the demands of the expanding naval fleet in preparation for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. By March 1941, the Navy had only 18,000 officer personnel. Most of the officers who were commissioned were dedicated to operations in the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
where the navy was "forced to bear the full burden in the event of war."
The first class in the program was graduated from the reserve midshipmen's school in the battleship USS Illinois (BB-7)
USS Illinois (BB-7)
USS Illinois , the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 21st state, was a battleship, the lead ship of her class....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and 232 of the 264 commissioned junior officers reported for active duty. During December 1940, the second class to be commissioned in the midshipmen program graduated from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
as did the third and fourth classes in 1941. The fifth class was graduated from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
V-7 program
In 1940, the V-7 program "was offered to any college junior or senior." Candidates were required to enlist in the Naval ReserveNaval Reserve
A Naval Reserve is the reserve body of a nation's Navy, typically called-upon in times of conflict. Naval Reserves include:* La réserve Marine * Royal Naval Reserve * Royal Australian Naval Reserve* Canadian Naval Reserve...
and following a one-month indoctrination course as apprentice seaman, they attended a three-month course in the midshipmen's school. Upon completion of the program, candidates were awarded an ensign's commission and placed in active status. Instruction was provided in ordnance and gunnery, seamanship, navigation and engineering.
During 1941, admission requirements were changed and applicants were required to have attained a college degree as well as one course in plane trigonometry and one additional year of mathematics. The final deadline for college juniors, seniors and graduates who were single and under age 28 to sign up was May 1, 1942. After that day, only applicants between 17 and 20 where eligible for the program and they were enlisted in Class V-1 to complete their college courses.
The Navy announced on August 25, 1945, that no more students would be permitted to enter the naval reserve midshipmen (V-7) program. At that time, 5,000 midshipmen were in training and were permitted to complete their courses at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Notre Dame University, Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and at Fort Schuyler in New York State, as well as the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
at Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
.
Battleship USS Illinois
USS Illinois (BB-7)
USS Illinois , the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 21st state, was a battleship, the lead ship of her class....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
under the leadership of commanding officer Captain John J. London. The first class that finished the midshipmen program during the early days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
were graduates of the battleship. The class contained 264 men and 232 reported for active duty.
The second three-month class on the battleship began on November 22, 1940, after the men finished their initial training cruise that summer on USS New York (BB-34)
USS New York (BB-34)
USS New York was a United States Navy battleship, the lead ship of her class of two . She was the fifth ship to carry her name....
. A total of 480 junior officers from the class graduated in February 1941.
Columbia University
The U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School at Columbia UniversityColumbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York, New York was opened on August 20, 1940. Columbia's Morningside Heights campus served as a training center and made use of 12 Columbia-owned buildings to house the midshipmen's school. The university also hosted a V-12 program which "trained doctors and dentists for military service."
By January 1943, there were 2,600 students enrolled in four-month long courses. That same month, the "Naval Lions," the schools first athletic team, made their debut in track and field championships at the Metropolitan A.A.U. meet.
Columbia was the largest midshipmen school in the country by late 1943, "turning out some 9,000 ensigns a year---more than ten times the number graduated from Annapolis in June 1943. The school "placed marks in the corridors" where thousands of "90-day-wonders" turned a "smart" 90-degree corner on their way to class."
The school graduated 23,000 ensigns before it closed.
Cornell University
The U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School at Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, was opened on March 3, 1944, with Captain Burton W. Chippendale as commanding officer. The school had a capacity of 800 students. In August 1945, the Navy Department ordered discontinuance of the Midshipmen's School upon completion of the 18th class which had begun instruction on August 10, 1945. The last graduates of the school were commissioned on December 7, 1945, the fourth anniversary of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
At the same time, Naval Indoctrination School at Camp MacDonough in Plattsburg, New York, opened on March 6, 1944, and was led by Commander Chauncey M. Loutrit. The duration of the instruction, which was required prior to attending a midshipmen's school, was a brief one-month and the class capacity was 2,500.
After the war, officer training was continued at Cornell in the NROTC unit which was established on November 1, 1945, and in the Diesel School for officers.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
was established in September 1940, and was in operation until 1945. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Northwestern's "stated objective" was to dedicate its full resources to aid in winning the war. The university also offered its facilities for use by the War Department
War Department
War Department may refer to:* War Department * United States Department of War - See also :* War Office , a former department of the British Government...
including the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and the Civil Aeronautics Administration
Civil Aeronautics Administration
Civil Aeronautics Administration may refer to:*Civil Aeronautics Administration - a division of Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Executive Yuan, Republic of China...
. A total of 11 training programs in addition to the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), established in 1926, were offered to potential military officers.
Following the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, Northwestern President Franklyn Bliss Snyder
Franklyn Bliss Snyder
Franklyn Bliss Snyder was the 18th President of Northwestern University and an American scholar of Scottish literature. Snyder was the son of a Congregational minister, Peter Miles Snyder, from Connecticut and grew up in Rockford, Illinois. He received his undergraduate degree from Beloit...
telegraphed President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
to volunteer the "entire resources of the University." The university admitted students who had finished three years of high school as well as instituting summer sessions to allow them to complete their degree requirements before the minimum draft age of 20. Notably, Northwestern switched its academic calendar
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
from a semester to a quarter system to facilitate these changes and this quarter system persisted after the war into the present day.
The V-7 Program midshipmen's school was the largest of the military programs in operation on the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
campus and was established in the newly-constructed Abbott Hall dormitory in 1940. The cadets also made use of the shores of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
for training purposes.
This school graduated 25 classes of "90-day wonders" (a total of 26,750 ensigns) by the end of the war, including future President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, who attended a separate "accelerated" two-month training program which was held for commissioned officers in 1941.
Notre Dame
U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen School at University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
was in operation by late 1942. The apprentice seamen attended the program for 90-days after successful completion of a 30-day indoctrination course.
A survey taken in October 1942, of 1,300 midshipmen, revealed that 75 percent participated in intercollegiate or advanced intramural athletics and that no fewer than 25 percent had won letters in intercollegiate competition.
The Navy built a new drill hall on the campus. Captain H. P. Burnett was the commanding officer of the school. On January 28, 1943, 1,200 more officers received were presented their diplomas and then sworn in as officers in the giant new hall.
Smith College
The Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School at Smith CollegeSmith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
in Northampton, Massachusetts
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, was training grounds for junior officers of the Women's Reserve of the U.S. Naval Reserve (WAVES)
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
and was nicknamed "USS Northampton." On August 28, 1942, a total of 120 women reported to the school for training.