Women in the Military
I’m so proud of my uniform. I wouldn’t trade it for any civilian dress I ever saw.
Mary Elizabeth Houseman, Call-Chronicle, June 31, 1943
The Women’s Army Auxillary Corps (WAAC) was created in 1942 with the approval of President Roosevelt. This organization was intended to be separate from the Army Nurses Corps as a way to expand women’s roles in the war. Women in the WAAC held roles such as clerks, stenographers, and typists in the beginning with the goal being to fill noncombatant military positions with women to free men up to fight.
Miss [Thelma] Hanna is engaged in communications work, chiefly telegraphy. When she took over the job, it released a man for duty on the fighting front.
The Morning Call, June 15, 1943
As the war went on, women’s roles expanded. In the Air Force, women served as radio operators, weather forecasters for flights, aerial photograph analysts, repairmen, and some even flew as crew members for training purposes. For the Army, women were mechanics and electricians, they loaded bullet shells, and even worked as radio operators. Gone were the days from the beginning of the war when women served merely as glorified secretaries. Instead, women were able to take on more specialized responsibilities.
WAVES Uniform
Date Unknown
Donated by Barbara Keller Taylor ’52
Date Unknown
Donated by Barbara Keller Taylor ’52
Date Unknown
Donated by Barbara Keller Taylor ’52
Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) was an all-female unit of the United States Navy formed in 1942 under the authorization of President Roosevelt.
A year after the WAAC was formed, in 1943, it became the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and was a unit within the Army rather than an organization which assisted the Army. By making the group a division within the Army, women could serve overseas and receive military pay, benefits, and protections.
1944-1945
Donor Unknown
Men’s Army Uniform
1944-1945
Donor Unknown
1944-1945
Donor Unknown
With the WAC becoming an official unit of the Army, not all Americans were comfortable with such a change, and some male personnel within the military created a slander campaign to tarnish the reputation of women in the military. Women in the WAC and similar groups were described as promiscuous, mannish, and some people even went as far as to claim that these women had been brought in by the government to work as prostitutes. These accusations had a negative impact as the American public became skeptical of the group and women became hesitant to join, yet the brave women who served endured this slander so that they could do their part to help win the war.
American Red Cross Uniforms
American Red Cross Volunteer Uniform 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Hat 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Uniform (close-up detail) 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Uniform (close-up detail) 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Pin 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Pin 1950 Donor Unknown 
American Red Cross Volunteer Pin 1950 Donor Unknown
In 1942, due to the high demand for nurses, Cedar Crest College President Moore approved a four year nursing program.
Just as America’s involvement caused an increased need for soldiers, the government’s decision to join the war also created a large need for nurses. Nurses during World War II were as important to winning as the soldiers. Without their skills, thousands of American soldiers would have died. With the aid of skilled nurses, countless soldiers’ lives were saved.
1940s
The American Red Cross seersucker suit was part of a series of new uniforms for both paid and volunteer American Red Cross workers’ uniforms designed by Mainbocher. Mainbocher also designed the uniforms for the women’s Navy unit, WAVES. His goal was to combine the militaristic look with a distinctly feminine style by bringing in the waist and softening the shoulders of the jacket.
Nurses were stationed all across Europe, Northern Africa, and in the Pacific to play their part in helping to defeat axis powers. The Army Nurse Corps recruited thousands of women to service which often put them on the front lines. In 1942, due to the high demand for nurses, Cedar Crest College President Moore approved a four year nursing program.
The War’s Impact on Cedar Crest
When the United States entered World War II, women were greatly affected, and not just those women who served in the military or helped as nurses, but everyday women including the students at Cedar Crest College. Students began to take a greater interest in politics and foreign affairs, their purchasing habits were affected by war rationing, and they were encouraged to support the military monetarily by purchasing war bonds. The very culture of Cedar Crest College’s campus evolved in the wake of World War II. Even times of celebration were altered like Christmas church sermons which took a somber theme around the war and the Americans who were fighting in it.
For this is not the first wartime Christmas, nor unfortunately will it be the last. I assure you, as young Americans, you are not the first group in history which has had to face the disruption of normal existence or the challenge of ideals or cherished beliefs.
“Christmas in Wartime” 1943
Bond Stamp Sales
Since fighting a war took a great deal of money, the United States government needed a way to encourage the average citizen to support the war financially. Entering the 1940’s, the public was still dealing with the economic effects of the Great Depression, and so, not many Americans could afford to buy the traditional war bonds which came in large amounts. Instead, people were encourage to buy stamps, and once a person filled a stamp booklet, they could use it to purchase a larger bond. At Cedar Crest College, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) advertised and encouraged students to purchase stamps in The Crestiad.
Rationing
With an increased demand on certain resources and goods like food, metal, nylon, and rubber due to the increased need for these items by the military, the United States government needed to create a way to ensure these resources were available to American citizens throughout the war while also conserving these resources for military use. To find that balance, the government created the ration system which gave Americans ration stamps which served as points that people could use to purchase goods along with the standard monetary cost of that good. So, even Cedar Crest College students were affected by rationing when they shopped for their groceries, clothes, and gasoline. There were also pamphlets and booklets which offered tips for what food to buy with ration stamps and often encouraged people to buy goods which were least in demand.
Long-Lasting Effects
After the second world war ended, Cedar Crest College students gained a new global perspective which affected the culture at the school. One way students took an interest in the world around them was by including foreign news in the school newspaper The Crestiad. Starting in 1949, new sections were added to the paper like “World News” and “Foreign News and Opinions” which were regularly featured.
Cedar Crest College Women in the '40s: Country, Camaraderie, and Celebration 