War Ends, SATC Demobilized

The Armistice of Compiègne on November 11, 1918 ended the fighting in Europe.

 On November 26, 1918 the Committee on Education and Special Training issued a statement to the presidents of all institutions with units of the Students’ Army Training Corps (SATC). It announced the demobilization of the SATC before the commencement of men for the week of December first of that year.

An excerpt from the telegram follows:

The Students’ Army Training Corps was conceived as a war measure to operate under war conditions. The conclusion to discontinue under the pesent conditions has been reached with regret and only after a careful canvass of the situation from every point of view. This Committee desires to express its appreciation of the loyal spirit with which the educational institutions of the country have co-operated in this undertaking.

In December of 1918, the Rice Institute was informed that in lieu of the demobilization of the SATC, the Secretary of War had instructed the Committee of Education and Specialized Training to develop and authorize the continuance of the ROTC. It was up to individual institutions to decide if they wanted to organize a permanent unit of the ROTC on their campus.

On December 27, 1918, a message was sent from A.H. Wheeler, Secretary to President Lovett at the time, to the Committee indicating that the Rice Institute did not seek to continue military training. 

War Ends, SATC Demobilized