In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Acknowledgments This research project on American women and World War II has followed an evolving course. Like Mary Ashby Cheek, president of Rockford College from 1937 to 1954, Christine Bruun had lived in Danville, Kentucky, and had family connections to Centre College, so the earliest work grew out of these commonalities. However, the remarkable influence of President Cheek at Rockford College emerged as a story with its own momentum. Cheek’s interest in internationalism and her belief in the women students at the college motivated Rockford women to expect that they could make a contribution in the public sphere. Our numerous interviews and conversations with alumnae who were students while she was president revealed to us not only her charisma but also the distinctive atmosphere and activities at the college during this period. In addition to the influence of President Cheek, alumnae told us of the inspiring dedication and meticulous scholarship of the faculty, who powerfully shaped their lives. These alumnae shared their letters (including correspondence with soldiers who were friends and fiancés), diaries, and photographs, all saved from these years. The wealth of material that alumnae were passing along led us to recognize the intriguing story of the college’s involvement in World War II and to cast the story more broadly. Alumnae told us of the excitement they experienced as they realized the active roles they could play. They became involved in international student organizations, the Red Cross, and all the women’s branches of the military—the WAC (Women’s Army Corps), WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), SPAR (Semper Paratus—Always Ready)—as well as campus activities to support the war. An innovative example was the earn-and-learn program, one of the first of its kind, which allowed students to work in war-production factories while they were also attending classes. The women students clearly felt empowered to initiate change. xi :%%))URQWPDWWHULQGG 30 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our observations of what the women at Rockford College were doing during the war prompted us to look at the broader picture of what was occurring with other women college students in the country. Although women all over the United States were involved in the war effort, many college women were organizers and activists and appeared to be an under-researched population. This enlarged view helped us to place the microcosm of Rockford College in the fuller historical context of higher education around the war years. We also became more aware of the far-reaching influence of Jane Addams, who not only was an alumna of Rockford College but also helped shape the direction of the feminist movement well into the 1930s and beyond. Many of the alumnae who shared their memories and documents were living examples of how the ideals of Jane Addams and the effects of their college education led to the strategic roles and work they performed later in life. Ultimately, the project grew into a more refined understanding of how events that preceded and followed World War II dramatically affected the lives of women at Rockford College and elsewhere. The series of expanding ripples grew into a fuller and richer story than just that of Mary Ashby Cheek alone. Many people have contributed their ongoing support to make this book possible. Their goodwill and helpful cooperation have made the whole process smoother. Foremost, we are grateful to the alumnae of Rockford College who were students during the war years. They have been exceedingly generous in sharing their time, recollections, memoirs, memorabilia, and a spirit of collaboration . Their friendliness and accommodating assistance had an engaging effect. They believed in the significant force of what they accomplished and very quickly convinced us to believe the same. The library staff of Rockford College has been helpful at every juncture. Phil Hjemboe helped to make space in the library for us that could be dedicated specifically to this project, Kelly James (’95) worked with our student assistants on the best methods for preparing our archival material, and Audrey Wilson’s assistance in interlibrary loan brought the work of numerous scholars to our aid. Particular thanks go to Mary Pryor, the college archivist, who has worked diligently to make all available documents accessible to us and who often assembled ordered sets of materials to make them more efficiently usable. Other departments of the college have shown similar support. The Alumni and Development offices, especially Bern Sundstedt and...

Share