Emma Willard and World War I

1914—The War Begins

July 28—the Austro-Hungarian Empire declares war on Serbia.

August 1—Germany declares war on Russia.

August 3—Germany declares war on France. Italy declares neutrality.

August 6—Austria-Hungary declares war on Russia.

August 10—England and France declare war on the Austria-Hungary.

August 30—German planes bomb Paris.

September 5—the first Battle of the Marne begins.

September 23—1914-15 school year opens.

October 7-8—Emma Willard celebrates Centennial; students dress as Revolutionary War soldiers.

Eight students had fathers on active duty in the U.S. Armed Services

Margaret Traub ’15 Manila, Philippines

Frances Jewett Murray ‘16Culebra, Panama

Frances Graves Morrow ’16Texas City, Texas Susanne Rice ‘16

Fort Leavenworth, KSHelen Hoffer ’17Washington, D.C.

Hazel Nelson ‘16Fort Logan, Colorado Not pictured: Helen Berry ’16,

Katharine Winn ‘15 (non-grads)

Major-General Peter E. Traub

1864-1956

West Point, Class of 1886 (classmate of General John Pershing)

1890—Present with the Seventh U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of Wounded Knee

1898—With the U.S. Cavalry at San Juan Hill

1900s—Chair of Foreign Languages at West Point

1912-15—Ass’t. chief of constabulary, Philippines

1916-17—Commanded “Buffalo Soldiers”

1918—Commanded 35th Infantry in the Argonne Forest. Signed commendation letter for Corp. Harry Truman.

Brigadier General Peter Murray

West Point, Class of 1890

1898—U.S. Infantry, Cuba

1912—Commissary Officer, West Point

1918—Third Brigade, Verdun-St. Mihiel

1919—Awarded Army Distinguished Service Medal

Brigadier General Lucien G. Berry

1863-1937

West Point, Class of 1886, Pershing’s classmate

1892-96—Philosophy instructor at West Point

1898—Served in the Army Artillery in Cuba

1915-16--Served on Pershing’s staff in Mexico

1917—60th Brigade Field Artillery Fought in the Meuse-Argonne

Disliked aviation, “refused to cooperate with the Air Service until ordered to do so.” (Gen. H. A. Drum, Chief of Staff of the 1st Army, A.E.F.)

Colonel Sedgwick Rice

1860-1925

1890s—Lieutenant in the Seventh Cavalry during the Indian Wars, fought at Wounded Knee

1898—Officer in a black regiment in Cuba

1910s—Stationed in Philippines

1915-1919—Commandant of U.S. disciplinary barracks; prisoners included conscientious objectors, radicals, I.W.W. members , war protesters

Brigadier-General John S. Winn

West Point, Class of 1888

1890s—Served as quartermaster in the cavalry in Idaho

19011-12—Served with the cavalry in the Philippines

1912-1913—Served with the cavalry along the Mexican border

1917—Made Brigadier-General and appointed Inspector General, Service of Supply for A.E.F.

1918—Fought at St. Mihiel and the Argonne

When the U.S. entered the war in 1917, other girls at school had fathers in the service

Frances Faust ‘18Katharine Kernan ‘18 Catherine Dutcher ‘18

Lt. Comdr. William H.

Faust

1864-1944

Graduate, U.S. Naval Academy, 1882

Served on staff of naval geological survey in Alaska, Faust Island named for him

Retired 1899

Rejoined the Navy on April 9, 1917, one week after Congress declared war.

Major-General Francis J. Kernan

1859-1949

Graduate of West Point, 1881

1898—member of first landing party in the Philippines

1900-03—Served on Arthur MacArthur’s staff in the Philippines

1917-18—Commanded Services of Supply in France

1918-19—Technical military advisor to U.S. delegation at Versailles.

Received Army Distinguished Service Medal for WWI work

Reason for so many military daughters at EWS

First, Frances Mary Thomas Ludlow ‘58 Scholarship—presented in her memory by her husband, Admiral Nicoll Ludlow, provided two $325/year scholarships for daughters of navy line officers. Frances Faust ‘18 was a Ludlow Scholar.

Second, Margaret Olivia Slocum Sage’s nephew, Colonel Herbert Jermain Slocum, a graduate of

West Point, liked to identify daughters of army officers and persuade his aunt to pay their tuition at

Emma Willard. Susanne Rice ‘16 was a Sage Scholar.

1915OFF MOUNT IDA

American Women’s Peace Party forms.

Germany begins unrestricted submarine warfare against merchant vessels.

Germany uses poison gas for the first time at the Second Battle of Ypres.

German submarine sinks the Lusitania, a British passenger liner.

Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary.

The Battle of Gallipoli begins.

AT EMMA WILLARD

Students raise $375 for Belgian Relief Fund, $150 for the Red Cross

French department puts on a play, proceeds sent to the “suffering people abroad.”

Faculty and students prepare 25 “surgical kits” for soldiers.

Emma Willard Alumnae Association plans an “entertainment,” proceeds to go for surgical kits

Sarah Tappin McQuide ‘86 named chair of NYS Surgical Dressings Committee

Lila Rundle Shepard ’14 was the first Emma Willard graduate to take an active part in the war. A Canadian citizen, she became a “nursing sister” and was stationed at No. 2 Canadian General Hospital. She enlisted in February, 1915, just six months after the war began in Europe. Canada entered the war when England did.

Excerpt from Lila Shepard’s first letter to Miss Kellas, 1915:

Dear Miss Kellas:

We are in France and at work at last…We are not allowed to

write about many things, but I want you all to know that I am

thinking of you.

We are on a bluff, the cliffs of which drop straight down four

hundred feet to the sea—the prettiest sight you could imagine with

the rows and rows of tents. Our own tent is right near the edge of

the bluff—two sisters have a tent between them….Mlle. de Rossé

will be quite surprised to hear that I get along very nicely with my

French…I have my old red verb book with me, and nearly every

night go over a few of those horrid irregulars…I hope the next

mail will bring me many letters from E.W.S.

With a great deal of love to you all,

Lila

From Lila Shepard to Eliza Kellas, Fall, 1915

“After the big attack at Loos, there was an endless

procession of stretchers with their still grey

blanketed figures. I can still see the tired stoop of

the orderlies’ shoulders for nearly a week they

worked day and night. And the horrible wounds,

but how brave the poor lads were…there was no

time for me to cry. I nursed a boy with both legs

blown off, and he was so proud. His last words

were, ‘We led the charge…’ The men in the

trenches know [war’s] horrors.”

1916

OFF MOUNT IDA

Woodrow Wilson warns Germany not to use unrestricted submarine warfare.

The Battle of Verdun results in 1,000,000 casualties.

The Battle of Jutland takes place; only major naval battle of the war.

Woodrow Wilson is reelected on the slogan, “He kept us out of war.”

Women’s National Land Service Corps formed in England. “Land Girls” replace farm workers fighting at the front.

David Lloyd-George is elected prime minister of Great Britain.

AT EMMA WILLARD

Revels is held for the first time, January 7.

The French department holds another entertainment, proceeds to go to “needy babies” in Europe.

“America” is added to the commencement program.

Opening of school delayed until October 4, 1916, because of a polio epidemic.

1917OFF MOUNT IDA

Nicholas abdicates.

German air raids attack London.

Germany resumes unrestricted submarine warfare; Zimmermann Telegram revealed.

April 2, Woodrow Wilson asks Congress to declare war on Germany.

American troops land in France: “Lafayette, we are here.”

Lenin and Bolsheviks take over Russia; sign an armistice with Germany.

AT EMMA WILLARD

Triangle editorial supports the draft.

Students organize a Red Cross Society.

May dance is cancelled; money sent to war effort.

West Point chaplain, H. Percy Silver, spoke at a Sunday service.

Triangle editorial urges students to buy Liberty Loan bonds.

The Star Spangled Banner is added to the commencement program.

Triangle ad, November,1917.

“In the ultimate analysis, it is the

nation with the best women that’s

going to win the war.”

Count Johann Heinrich von Bernstoff

Alice Trowbridge ‘17 whose mother, Gertrude Trowbridge,was the national chairperson of the National League forWoman’s Service.

Farmerettes at the University of Iowa

EWS students replace grounds crew

Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels:

“Women will provide the best clerical assistance

the country can provide.”

Yeomen (F) earned the same pay as men ($28.75/month, plus a uniform allowance, medical care, war risk insurance, and $1.25/day subsistence pay, wore a uniform skirt thatcleared the ground by 8 inches, sported an insignia of

crossed quills and worked six days a week/ten hours a day. Nearly 12,000 women joined up, including Margaret Traub ’15.

SOME WOMEN JOINED THE RED CROSS

MOTOR CORPS, TRANSPORTING WOUNDED

SOLDIERS FROM THE FRONT

Helen Collins ‘12, motor corps driver

SOME WOMEN JOINED THE YWCA, WHICH

OPERATED HOSTESS HOUSES IN FRANCE FOR

NURSES AND DRIVERS ON LEAVE

Dorothy Perry ’14 joined the Yand sailed for France in 1917.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HOSTESS HOUSE WAS

THE HOTEL PETROGRAD IN PARIS, RUN BY

MARGARET COOK ‘95

Excerpt from a letter written from the Hotel in October, 1918,by a young woman on a week’s leave from nursing:“Here I am at the Petrograd on my week’s leave….

This hotel seems more like a college dormitory. You take your towel over your arm and go from floor to floor in search of a tub not in use and meet other kimonoed figures likewise pursuing the best hot tub baths in France. Most hotels have hot water only on certain days now.”

1918IN THE WORLD

American troops enter the fight at Chateau-Thierry and the Second Battle of the Marne.

Woodrow Wilson announced Fourteen Points.

Paris is shelled by the Germans.

Nicholas II and his family are murdered by the Bolsheviks.

A world-wide influenza pandemic begins.

Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates, and on November 11 at 11:00 a.m., an armistice is declared.

AT EMMA WILLARD

Students raise almost $5000 for the Student Friendship War Fund of the YWCA.

Ex-President Taft visits the Cluetts in Cluett House.

Seniors debate whether or not to hold a dance because “of the dearth of men.”

Editorial in June Triangle: “Win the War”

No roses at graduation because of austerity measures.

A French soldier at the American Red Cross

Hospital in France wrote to Miss Kellas on June 13,

1918:

“À la tête de mon lit, existe une placque,

‘Emma Willard School.’”

Students had raised money for the Red Cross to

supply its hospitals with beds.

Alumnae Notes—1917-18Weddings Abound! Frances Murray ‘16 Lt. Samuel D. Sturgis

Elizabeth Thomas ‘15 to Lt. C. Whitney Tillinghast Susanne Rice ‘16 to Lt. Joseph W. Byron

Marjorie Cowee ‘11 to Lt. Lawrence Southard Lotta Hollister ‘15 to Lt. Hugh Mayberry

Margaret Merwin ‘14 to Lt. Carlton Overton Winifred Robb ‘13 to Lt. Wm. T. Powers Doris Langlois to Lt. Cassius Poust

Elizabeth Cheney to Lt. Ogden J. Ross All but one survived the war.

Isabella Vaughan ‘13 to Lt. William Stafford

Ethel R. Freeman ‘09 to Lt. Brant Holme

A father’s note asking Miss Kellas to allow his daughter to go home and see her “soldier friend” on

“furlough.”

William Halsall Cheney

Before coming to Emma Willard, Eliza Kellas was the live-in tutor to Billy Cheney and his sister and brother.

Billy graduated from St. Mark’s School in 1916 and entered Harvard with the Class of 1920. In 1917 he joined the Army Air Corps, training in Italy with a unit organized by N. Y. Congressman Fiorello LaGuardia. In January, 1918, Billy and two other pilots were killed during a training mission, the first fatalities for the unit known as “Fiorello’s Foggiani.”

Eliza Kellas was heartbroken.

Caproni Ca.5 biplane

Plaque in Billy Cheney’s memory on the altar of his family’s church in NH.

November 11, 1918

Students dressed as nurses and soldiers and world leaders. Classes werecancelled, and the entire school went to Troy to watch a victory parade.

POST-WAR TRIANGLE EDITORIALIZING

“A great prayer of thanksgiving goes p from our hearts that the most frightful struggle of history is over, that Right has triumphed over Might.”

“But is the war over? Have we a right to say it is done, and to rest? The war is over in only one sense, that of the actual fighting—the war of destruction. A war of construction is to be waged now, as great, if not greater than the other. The problems of peace are to be taken up, problems more complex than those we have hitherto met, in that they are so new. This is no time for us as a nation to give up sacrificing…Let us not forget, in our relief and joy, that there are many who have been sorely stricken by the war; there are starving women and children who must be fed; there are devastated countries to be reconstructed…so let us not stop giving, but, on the contrary, give to our utmost, to the Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., the Salvation Army, and to all the other noble organizations whose function it is to carry on this splendid and necessary work.”

INFLUENZA—1918-19—claimed the lives of thousands of young adults, including these four young alumnae. Death did

not stop with the end of the war.