Rowan unveils cast bronze plaque to honor World War II veterans

Unveiling plaque, veterans Leroy Bright, Herbert Gansz and Harriet Lawson

So many students volunteered for service from the New Jersey State Teachers College at Glassboro during World War II that the school, an early predecessor to Rowan University, almost closed.

On November 14 a heavy, cast bronze plaque was unveiled in Bunce Hall to honor those 165 students during a brief morning ceremony befitting the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who served.

The strain on the school, akin to about 7,000 of today’s students leaving to fight a war, was traumatic but impossible to avoid.

“The Second World War was the most distinguishing event in the last century and it was the most terrible conflict in history,” said keynote speaker Lee Kress, professor emeritus in the Department of History. “As many as 66 million people lost their lives.”

Kress noted that over the course of the war – 2,174 days – the death toll averaged one life lost every three seconds for six years.

“Through it all, this college, this state and this nation persevered,” Kress said.

But it wasn’t easy. At a time when many larger colleges and universities were propped up by the federal government with research dollars and other efforts to support the war there was little to no aid for the small South Jersey teachers college, Kress said.

While many students left school to fight the war, others left for good-paying wartime manufacturing jobs.

Hoping to save the school, President Edgar Bunce discouraged military recruiters from coming to campus out of fear they’d encourage more students to leave but led efforts to support the war effort including the raising of campus victory gardens, Kress said. The school began issuing emergency teacher certifications so seniors could replace classroom teachers, it suspended clubs and collegiate sports programs, shortened Christmas break and eliminated spring break.

“This was a pretty somber campus,” Kress said.

Altogether, he said, 211 students and alumni served during the war and three died in action.

“By 1944 there were only 168 women left and two men, both of whom were not eligible to serve,” he said.

The unveiling service included a display of the U.S, New Jersey and school flags by the Rowan University ROTC color guard and accompanying marshal music by the Rowan University Pep Band led by John Pastin, the former director of the U.S. Navy Band and the dean of the College of Fine & Performing Arts. The band also played a medley of the five U.S. service songs composed by Pastin himself during which former service people or their families were recognized.

In attendance were three college alumni who served in the war: Harriet Lawson, Class of ’43; Herbert Gansz, Class of ’48; and Leroy Bright, Class of ’50.

The program, which capped six days of events honoring U.S. service men and women, was hosted by Jim Lovegrove, assistant vice president for Facilities, Operations and Plant Management, and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Addressing the World War II veterans directly, Rowan President Dr. Ali Houshmand said the plaque, which replaced an earlier commemoration to World War II veterans in the Chamberlain Student Center, was a fitting tribute to the men and women who literally saved our nation, a beacon to the world for its promise of liberty and opportunity.

“For someone like me who was born in a foreign land and is now a citizen of this great country I am very, very proud,” he said. “And I thank you for your service.”