After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, many young college-age Americans, including Iowa State Teachers College students, who had previously been staunch pacifists, became desperate to end WWII. As ISTC men signed up, male enrollment at ISTC dropped. The total enrollment was 1,745 in 1940, a drop of 156 students from the previous year.

Meanwhile, the number of married women on campus exploded; many eloped before their partners left for overseas. By the spring of ‘43, 300% more college women were married than in ‘42. The women of the Teachers College contributed diligently to the war effort by scavenging for metal and rubber; gathering their old nylons, paper, toothpaste tubes, and even bacon grease for the war effort; babysitting for mothers working the night shift; helping with Red Cross activities; and sending home-made socks and letters to men in the armed forces.

In 1942, World War II also came to campus when aviation cadets and a thousand WAVES (Women’s Appointed Volunteer Emergency Service) arrived for training camps. The all-female WAVES, a component of the U.S. Navy, came from as far as California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. They were housed four to a room in Bartlett and dined in the Commons. Female students who had previously been living in Bartlett were moved to Lawther Hall, where they also lived four to a room. Residence staff advised the women to deal with the crowded conditions by removing extra posters and photos and sending their stuffed animals home.

The Cadets and WAVES enjoyed privileges such as better cafeteria food than regular students; in a poll of the Cadets, when asked “What do you like best about ISTC?” every Cadet answered “quality of food service,” followed by the friendliness of students and professors. ISTC administrators attempted to unite all three segments of the campus community–civilians, Army, and Navy–in 1943 by inaugurating an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with an all-College Christmas supper, carolers, and a message from the newly appointed President Price.

Malcolm Poyer Price was named President in 1940; his predecessor, Orval Latham, who had led the college through the Depression, had passed away from pneumonia. Price led the construction efforts for two large building projects during the 1940s: Sunset Village (1946) and Latham Hall (1948).
Once the war ended, the G.I. Bill resulted in five million World War II veterans enrolling in colleges and universities, and male enrollment surged again at the ISTC. By 1949, the student body totaled 2,949. Interestingly, G.I.’s performed better academically compared to other ISTC students, and consistently refused involvement in traditional hazing practices.

During the 40s, tuition increased from $26 per term (first & second years) or $32 per term (third & fourth years) to $33 per term by 1949.