Note: This message was originally sent on December 4, 2018
Good morning – A little Christmas and patriotic cheer is coming your way this Tuesday morning.
First, please take a minute to get in the spirit of the season and enjoy a special Gonzaga surprise behind each door of this year's online Advent calendar. Constituents will receive a weekly email to celebrate the countdown to Jesus' birth and provide highlights from that week's offerings. It's just a little something to say, "thank you for being part of the Gonzaga community!"
And now, a bit on the V-12 Scholarship: Established 1993; 40 unique, individual students awarded; 44 awards totaling $102,739
“I plan on being the first in my family to graduate college. I wish I could tell you in 400 letters how deeply grateful I am, but since I can't, I hope knowing my educational and professional goals and having the understanding that I would NEVER waste your gift to me is enough. I have impactful goals that I can work towards using the education that you have made possible.” – 2018-19 recipient, Jordan
World War II had a major impact on Gonzaga University. Like many higher education facilities throughout the country, Gonzaga faced a financial crisis due to the shortage of male students, as well as faculty who were enlisting. Beginning in 1942, Gonzaga started receiving naval cadets from the V-5 program. To assist with the physical training of the naval cadets, Fr. Arthur Dussault, alumnus and former high school coach, arrived in the summer of 1942. Named the Sammy Grashio Victory Course, after a GU alumnus who was then missing in action in the Pacific, a 28-event obstacle course was built (pictured below). Considered one of the country’s toughest and most rugged, this course included the “belly buster,” “bear trap,” and “log hand over hand”. By March 1943, Gonzaga was given the approval for a V-12 program, the Navy’s collegiate program. That July, 300 V-12 cadets arrived on campus. The curriculum was 20 hours of lectures and labs including English, mathematics, physics, history, engineering drawing, and chemistry. Naval officers resided on campus to instruct men in naval etiquette, physical education, drill, and to enforce Navy discipline. Jesuit faculty taught most of the classes. The V-1 and V-7 reserves were incorporated into the new V-12 program. With the 150 V-5 cadets, the number of Navy men reached 450. These military programs changed the campus atmosphere. High school boarders were moved to university-owned residences. Naval language and insignia became the norm such as the school was a ship, the floors were decks, the beds were bunks, and the corridors were passageways. Military drills took place on the quad. The parish hall of St. Aloysius Church was renovated and served as a canteen. By the time the V-5 program was discontinued in July 1944, approximately 778 cadets had participated in the program at Gonzaga. That next year, the V-12 program was discontinued. Over 680 Navy officers participated in the 28 months of its existence. This scholarship was established in 1993 by V-12 participants for any full-time junior or senior with a GPA of 3.0 or higher who has financial need.
