Left: SATC recruits take the Oath of Allegiance at McCook FieldDuring World War I, the United States War Department created the Student Army Training Corps (SATC) an an emergency measure. SATC's goals were: 1) facilitate training of draftees and to provide a reservoir from which officers could be selected, and 2) Prevent wasteful depletion of the colleges through indiscriminate military volunteering.
The men were issued military uniforms, and expected to wear them at all times. They were issued Russian rifles. All S.A.T.C. men were placed in Class Five of the Selective Service Draft. Once drafted, their S.A.T.C. training put them in higher standing and gave their Army career a head start, possibly putting them on the path to become officers. If a drafted S.A.T.C. man expressed interest in continuing his education, and had shown high achievement, he could do so upon recommendation of the Chancellor and his commanding officer, and by applying for a military commission upon graduation.
It's here that the story takes a turn. The 1918 - 1919 Spanish Flu was a notorious pandemic that disrupted the war and lives around the world. In January and February of 1918 Dr. Loring Miner of Haskell County, in the very southwestern corner of Kansas, reported and described the year’s first influenza cases of unusual severity. It is virtually certain that young men leaving Haskell County for military service at Camp Funston in eastern Kansas carried the virus with them. By early March there were hundreds of cases and some deaths of the over 50,000 soldiers inducted and trained in Camp Funston. From Camp Funston soldiers departed by the thousands for assignment to military camps across the United States and eventually on to Europe, quite obviously carrying the flu virus with them. The infection and death rate was largely exaggerated as the media fed the panic of the uncertainty of a pandemic. Mortality rate among US military personnel including SATC participants was around 2% with the actual causes of death most likely bacterial pneumonia.
Chancellor Strong opposed formal military instruction as a part of university activities. However he changed his position after the War Department established SATC.
SATC officially began on October 1, 1918. Enrollment into SATC at KU opened on September 16, 1918. Reponse was huge and recruits were enrolled 100 at a time in Green Hall (home of KU Law School) totalling around 1700 students.
SATC was established at 525 universities and colleges across the nation including KU, and inducted 200,000 total students. In a display of patriotism, the students took the oath of allegience at the same time across the US. Enlistment in the S.A.T.C. gave each man the rank of private in the United States Army.
SATC was established at 525 universities and colleges across the nation including KU, and inducted 200,000 total students. In a display of patriotism, the students took the oath of allegience at the same time across the US. Enlistment in the S.A.T.C. gave each man the rank of private in the United States Army.
"While the S.A.T.C. is being established primarily to prevent the country from being robbed of its educated young men and to prevent the wrecking of the institution of learning by the calls to the Army, it is essential that the men bear in mind that they are being schooled because they are of more use to the government educated." Major Bruno T. Schér, Lawrence Daily Journal-World, August 15, 1918
The men were issued military uniforms, and expected to wear them at all times. They were issued Russian rifles. All S.A.T.C. men were placed in Class Five of the Selective Service Draft. Once drafted, their S.A.T.C. training put them in higher standing and gave their Army career a head start, possibly putting them on the path to become officers. If a drafted S.A.T.C. man expressed interest in continuing his education, and had shown high achievement, he could do so upon recommendation of the Chancellor and his commanding officer, and by applying for a military commission upon graduation.
It's here that the story takes a turn. The 1918 - 1919 Spanish Flu was a notorious pandemic that disrupted the war and lives around the world. In January and February of 1918 Dr. Loring Miner of Haskell County, in the very southwestern corner of Kansas, reported and described the year’s first influenza cases of unusual severity. It is virtually certain that young men leaving Haskell County for military service at Camp Funston in eastern Kansas carried the virus with them. By early March there were hundreds of cases and some deaths of the over 50,000 soldiers inducted and trained in Camp Funston. From Camp Funston soldiers departed by the thousands for assignment to military camps across the United States and eventually on to Europe, quite obviously carrying the flu virus with them. The infection and death rate was largely exaggerated as the media fed the panic of the uncertainty of a pandemic. Mortality rate among US military personnel including SATC participants was around 2% with the actual causes of death most likely bacterial pneumonia.
By September 1918, the Spanish Flu had reached KU with the Sigma Chi Fraternity house ordered to quarantine in place. The University Daily Kansan reported on October 7th that the enrollment was 3,006 students - 2085 men and 921 women. The SATC students comprised over 80% of the student body. All University resources were geared toward the SATC men. They had priority and the program wasn't well integrated with other academic programs. Then on October 8th, the University was shut down in addition to theaters, churches, and clubs until at least October 15th to stop or slow the spread of the flu. Later the shut down was extended to November 11th the same day the Armistice was announced.
War Department decided to disband the program by the end of December. The war to end all wars was over and there was no perceived need for a pool of educated men for officer training. In addition there were logistical and pay issues, as well as difficulties integrating with academic classes.
Many SATC students left the University when the program was ended. KU eventually decided to embrace ROTC. President Strong now favored having an ROTC program but didn't want to hurry into it.
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