campus news and events

The Colby Voice in the Great War

On Sept. 10, 1914, the Town of New London dedicated the Soldiers` Monument as a tribute to the men who "marched at their country's call to lay down their lives" in the Civil War (The Colby Voice, Dec. 5, 1914). Colby Academy students and townspeople attended the ceremony unaware that new names would soon be etched in the granite in memory of those lost in the First World War.

Though a month prior President Woodrow Wilson had declared staunch neutrality in the conflict then known as the European War, academy students and alumni volunteered with organizations such as the YWCA,YMCA and Red Cross to aid the battling nations. Alongside these efforts, the academy's official stance reflected that of the country's—neutrality and compassion—and was echoed in the student newspaper, The Colby Voice. One editorial advised: As this is written the nations of Europe are in the midst of a terrible struggle, as cruel as it is unbelievable…Our country is on friendly terms with all the nations now at war and whatever the outcome may be, let us rejoice that our beloved land will keep her banner spotless and undefiled. In the meantime, let us as individuals pursue the same course which we as a nation are fortunately able to maintain, one of absolute neutrality. Let us have our own opinions but keep them to ourselves for in every American community, however small, are loyal American citizens who still regard with affection and reverence the distant land which saw their birth. While we deplore the flower of the young manhood of Europe is being offered to the cannon and sabre and pray unceasingly that the war will soon end, let us not forget that each soldier on either side is responding to what seems to him to be the call of his country in the hour of her need and her suffering (The Colby Voice, April 17,1915).

After America joined the war in 1917 and Academy alumni were thrust onto the battlefields of Europe, attitudes changed. In a letter from overseas published in The Colby Voice, one alumnus wrote, “Who would have dreamed while we were conjugating French verbs up in the classrooms of our schooldays that the knowledge would be useful under circumstances such as these?” He added, “I suppose may run into any of the old '13 and '14 bunch right around these hills and digg'ins here" (The Colby Voice, June 17, 1918).

Female Academy students also did their part. “The girls in school have adopted various forms of activity, linking themselves up to the Red Cross work and also engaging in setting up exercises and marching. Colby's motto, Parati Servire [Ready to Serve], is being emphasized everyday as our attention is brought to the desirability of having adequate training for body, mind and spirit” (The Colby Voice, April 23,1917). Many alumnae even served in support roles at the battlefront.

The war had become America's just as much as Europe's, and as the list of the dead began to grow, including members of both the New Hampshire regiment and Colby Academy, the school intensified its support of the war effort. Home economics classes gave exhibitions on war breads, cakes and pastries. The Colby Voice sent copies overseas to keep alumni up to date on the academy and fellow alumni in battle. The academy participated in the national Wheatless Wednesday and Meatless Monday campaigns, and treats were made without scarce sugar. Powdered eggs became a mainstay. Newspaper articles reminded students of the many small ways they could help the cause: Don't snack between meals; to save coal, don't leave the radiator escape open full-blast while in class; turn off lights before leaving a room; reduce the number of lights in communal spaces. The Colby Voice reported: It has been determined to put in crops on every available plot of land the Academy owns and to enlist the assistance of available students for the planting, cultivation, and harvesting of these crops. A canvass is to be made to secure pledges from individual students and local citizens as to the definite contribution which each is willing to make in the way of food production for the coming season…The girls will render their contribution by canning food products in the summer and fall. It is for every individual to ask himself the question 'Along what line may I most effectively contribute to the national well-being in this time of crisis?' If he is unable to answer that question to his own satisfaction he should consult some member of the Committee of Public Safety, either local, state or national. It is to be expected that every true Colbyite will respond promptly and will continue to render effective service in the one endeavor which he selects (April 23, 1917).

Some did not agree with the United States' entry into the war, but tolerance and patriotism was the Voice's recommendation. Editors suggested that even if one did not agree with what Washington was doing, one should support the troops.

When the war ended in 1918, the academic world felt its effects. One Colby Voice editorial stated: The whole nation has just begun to recover from a great conflict, the World War—a conflict which has spread a feeling of unrest in all parts of the world: the spirit of unrest more commonly being known as Bolshevism. We have experienced the feeling in our work, play, and in fact, in every phase of occupation in which we are employed. This spirit of unrest has crept into our schools, and, as a result, students and teachers have not always been able to cooperate in the right manner as in the past, and as a result, the standard of the American schools, particularly those of the preparatory order, have suffered (Oct. 15, 1920).

In response, Colby Academy students rallied and stood as one against this new threat, stronger and ready to face an uncertain future.

-by Kelli Bogan, college archivist