LEADERSHIP
Blaisdell Chooses to Stay
In 1917, President Blaisdell received word that he was to be offered the presidency of his alma mater, Beloit College, where he had been a member of the faculty before coming to Pomona. Both the Board and the faculty urged him to stay at Pomona, and in the end, he was persuaded to stay.
ACADEMICS
Professor Ralph Lyman
Ralph H. Lyman came to Pomona in 1917 from the University of Oregon, where he was dean of the school of music. As professor of applied music and head of the Music Department for 30 years, Lyman would be remembered by generations of students as one of Pomona鈥檚 greatest teachers.
War Footing
Beginning in the fall of 1917, the College went on a true war footing, with physical education requirements reduced by half for freshman and sophomore men to permit these students to take part in military training. The College also offered courses in military drill and military science, as well as Red Cross courses for both men and women.
STUDENT LIFE
Cosmopolitan Club
The 1918 Metate (published by the junior class in 1917) features the first appearance of the Cosmopolitan Club, an attempt to gain increased membership of students from states outside of California and regions beyond Southern California. Membership in the club was restricted to students who were from Northern California or out of state. Literature about the College was sent free to prospective students, and members had literature at their disposal that they could distribute to friends, in an effort to 鈥渂roaden the local atmosphere and bring in students with new ideas and new and different viewpoints.鈥
ELSEWHERE
The United States declared war on Germany, joining the Allies for the last 17 months of World War I.
The Selective Service Act was passed, requiring all men ages 21 to 30 to register for military service.
The Russian Revolution ousted the Tsarist regime, and the Russian Civil War began.