Benjamin Vajgrt
Published: 2012
Total Pages: 40
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From its origins as a Normal School founded on the outskirts of town in 1909 to a regional university of over 9,000 students, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has changed dramatically from its humble beginnings. The end of the Second World War marked a dramatic change in higher education both locally and nationally. Enrollment figures bolstered by the GI bill skyrocketed as students and veterans descended on campuses nationwide. The increased enrollment along with the changing demands of the postwar generation and economy fueled far-reaching change in the character and culture of UWL or as it was known in the postwar era, La Crosse State Teachers College. One of the most pressing issues on the minds of students and administrators during the postwar period was housing to accommodate for the overall rise in enrollment. This led to drastic measures taken by the college including the construction of Quonset huts, married student housing, and the conversion of the Main Hall basement into makeshift dorms. Another major change explored in this paper is the transformation of the curriculum during the postwar period which was characterized by a growth of the liberal arts and expansion of the curriculum to include options outside teacher preparation. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Wisconsin State Teachers College represented a wider trend in higher education of increased access, expanding enrollment, enlarging curriculum options, specifically the growth of the liberal arts.