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These "engineering junior cadets" are taking part in a "rigging exercise" circa 1943 on the grounds of the Armory. That's Carnegie Building in the background. America's entry into World War II on Dec. 7, 1941, brought substantial changes to Penn State, which geared up to support the national defense effort. Undergraduate enrollment plummeted from 6,500 in 1941 to 2,900 within two years as many male students enlisted or were drafted. Others, such as the engineering cadets, finished their studies as part of the military reserve before going off to war; but in addition to their academic program, they received special defense-related training. Despite the sharp decline in the undergraduate population, the campus was crowded with military and civilian personnel enrolled in special training classes in such diverse defense-related fields as diesel engineering, map-reading, aeronautics, and mechanical drawing.
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