Great Depression and War Years: 1929-1947
In 1929 a new name, Western Carolina Teachers College, reflected the institution’s expanded mandate as a four-year college. New majors accompanied the growth of the baccalaureate program. But the beginning of the Great Depression undermined WCTC’s aspirations. While construction plans and salaries were drastically cut, enrollment grew, leading to serious overcrowding.
Student life was also affected by the Depression. As reduced income nudged students increasingly towards cheaper campus activities, they challenged strict faculty supervision of their social lives. Petitions to end mandatory chapel and to allow mixed dancing circulated, and the institution’s first student government associations were created. The athletic program expanded slowly, with an emphasis on football, basketball, and baseball.
New federal programs to combat the Depression also impacted the campus. In 1939, construction funded by the New Deal included Breese Gymnasium, a new Madison Hall, Graham Infirmary, McKee Laboratory School, Hoey Auditorium, and the Student Union. The celebration of the institution’s “Golden Jubilee” at homecoming that year looked forward to a brighter future, just as World War II broke out in Europe.
The War devastated WCTC. Male enrollment dropped by 90%, and total enrollment was cut in half. Many faculty and staff joined the armed services. Severe funding cuts threatened the College’s very existence. But the end of the War brought dramatic improvement. A new bachelor of arts degree and a flood of returning veterans expanded enrollment. Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools in 1946 recognized the quality of the institution. Western had weathered the one-two punch of Depression and War.
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