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Student Army Training Corps, Yale University, records

 Collection
Call Number: RU 88

Scope and Contents

The Yale Battery was organized in the fall of 1915 under the direction of General Leonard Wood. It rapidly grew into four batteries, which were mustered into the Connecticut 10th Field Artillery of the National Guard.

After the National Defense Act of June 3, 1916 provided for the establishment of R.O.T.C. units on college campuses, Yale moved to replace these militia batteries with a regular R.O.T.C. program. In Feb. 1917 the R.O.T.C. program at Yale was instituted, under the direction of Captain Robert Danford. The Yale Naval Training Unit (originally the Motor Boat Patrol), was also officially organized at this time, under the direction of Mather Abbott.

In the spring of 1918, existing R.O.T.C. programs were suspended and replaced with the Student Army Training Corps. This was a program designed to establish military training units in the colleges and to substitute specialized instruction for the normal curriculum. All students, except those with 4-F draft board ratings, were to belong to it; all non-militarily useful courses were to be suspended for the duration of the war; students would be subject to military regulations. The existing R.O.T.C. programs (Army & Navy), would be co-ordinated by the S.A.T.C.

The S.A.T.C. began at Yale Oct. 1, 1918, after a summer of intensive preparation by the University and War Department. However, the program only existed for the fall of 1918. After the armistice on Nov. 11, the S.A.T.C. appeared to have lost its purpose, and it was ordered demobilized by Congress in Nov. 26, 1918. The R.O.T.C. programs were re-established at Yale in February of 1919.

The papers are divided into 2 series: Series I contains the papers of all Army Training Programs at Yale (the Battery, the S.A.T.C., and the R.O.T.C.), and Series II concerns Naval Training Programs. The papers are arranged alphabetically by topic, and chronologically within each topic. Correspondence in all cases includes general memoranda sent by the War Department as well as Yale correspondence. The S.A.T.C. material also includes, under correspondence, the bulletins sent to S.A.T.C. units by the Committee on Education and Special Training (War Department).

Dates

  • circa 1916-1919

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research

Arrangement

The records are arranged in two series: I. Army Training Programs. II. Yale Naval Training Unit.

Extent

3.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/mssa.ru.0088

Abstract

The records consist of correspondence, administrative records, student records, financial records, photographs, scrapbooks, clippings, and memorabilia documenting the Army and Navy training programs at Yale up to 1919. Records concerning the following programs are included: Yale Battery, Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC and NROTC), Yale Naval Training Unit, and the Student Army Training Corps (SATC).

Biographical / Historical

The Yale Battery was the first Army training program established at Yale in 1915. Eventually Yale had four batteries which became the Connecticut 10th Field Artillery of the National Guard. In 1916, Yale replaced its batteries with the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and the Yale Naval Training Unit (originally the Motor Boat Patrol and later known as NROTC). In the Spring of 1918, existing ROTC programs were suspended and replaced with the Student Army Training Corps (SATC). The program was designed to establish military training units in colleges and to substitute specialized military training for the normal curriculum during World War I. Students were subject to military regulations and the existing ROTC programs (Army and Naval) were coordinated by the SATC. The SATC was demobilized by Congress in 1918. The ROTC programs were re-established at Yale in 1919.

General note

Forms part of Yale Record Group 42-A (YRG 42-A), Records of military training programs at Yale.

Title
Guide to the Student Army Training Corps, Yale University, Records
Status
Under Revision
Author
compiled by staff of Manuscripts and Archives
Date
October 1985
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository

Contact:
Yale University Library
P.O. Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 US
(203) 432-1735
(203) 432-7441 (Fax)

Location

Sterling Memorial Library
Room 147
120 High Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Opening Hours