Graduation Booklet From The United States Naval Training School For The First Class Of The Women's Reserve Of The Navy (and Coast Guard) (Waves)

Oxford, OH: United States Navy / Miami University. Very Good+. 1943. Stapled wraps. B&W Illustrations; Oblong booklet with cardstock covers and a stapled spine. The booklet is in Very Good+ condition and was issued without a dust jacket. The text pages are generally clean and bright. (there are a couple of spots on the first several pages) Laid-in are the graduation program (one page, folded one) and a course completion award for Naval Training School (Radio) for Ruth Eileen Ewl. The course took place at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, at the same time as the Eleventh Graduating class (radio) of Navy cadets. "To be eligible for officer candidate school, women had to be aged 20 to 49 and possess a college degree or have two years of college and two years of equivalent professional or business experience. Volunteers at the enlisted level had to be aged 20 to 35 and possess a high school or a business diploma, or have equivalent experience. The WAVES were primarily white, but 72 African-American women eventually served. The Navy's training of most WAVE officer candidates took place at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. Specialized training for officers was conducted on several college campuses and naval facilities. Most enlisted members received recruit training at Hunter College, in the Bronx, New York City. After recruit training, some women attended specialized training courses on college campuses and at naval facilities. The WAVES served at 900 stations in the United States. The territory of Hawaii was the only overseas station where their staff was assigned. Many female officers entered fields previously held by men, such as medicine and engineering. Enlisted women served in jobs from clerical to parachute riggers. Many women experienced workplace hostility from their male counterparts. The Navy's lack of clear-cut policies, early on, was the source of many of the difficulties. The WAVES' peak strength was 86,291 members. Upon demobilization of the officer and enlisted members, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, Fleet Admiral Ernest King, and Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz all commended the WAVES for their contributions to the war effort. " (from Wikipedia) .