The year is 1917, the United States had just entered World War I in April and students at Auburn University, then Alabama Polytechnic Institute were likely eager to get back to school after a hot Alabama summer.
The year is 1917, the United States had just entered World War I in April and students at Auburn University, then Alabama Polytechnic Institute were likely eager to get back to school after a hot Alabama summer.
Mostly known for its agriculture and mechanical programs at the time, Alabama Polytechnic Institute or “API” had yet to grow into the Auburn University it is today. With the U.S. entering the first world war, all eligible, able-bodied males on campus volunteered for the United States Army for short-lived military careers by October 1918.
According to API President Charles Thach, 878 “student soldiers” formed the academic section of the Student Army Training Corps. Being a mechanical college, these enlisted men were in Auburn for radio and mechanical training.
These students would participate in military drills and training on campus in addition to their academic schedule. Therefore, at the time, it was common to see the shaved head, gray uniformed students of API doing rifle drills and calisthenics. With an armistice ending World War I two months later, the API Cadets were given honorable discharges from service.
At the time, agriculture was Alabama Polytechnic Institute’s main focus. According to “Encyclopedia of Alabama” by Martin T. Olliff, API accepted federal funds through the Smith-Hughes Act, which led to the creation of the Department of Agriculture Education, now known as the College of Education. API’s advanced agricultural knowledge helped America on the war front as well, sending countless food and rattions to soldiers overseas.
Around this time, Greek life was just arriving in Auburn as well. In 1917, Lambda Chi Alpha built the first fraternity house, and sororities following suit six years later in 1923.
Auburn has always been a football school. Thousands of fans would gather to Drake Field to see the Tigers play under coach Mike Donahue and team captain Carey Robinson. Auburn finished second in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) standing behind rival Georgia Tech with a record of 6-2-1.
Auburn has certainly changed in the last century from adding more academic focuses such as a pharmacy and aeronautical engineering, becoming much more diverse and transforming into the athletic powerhouse we know today. However, the Auburn spirit always stays strong, and it is important to look back on the history of our University for both inspiration and knowledge.
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