Military History at Bowdoin College collection

From the Civil War through World War II, Bowdoin College balanced its commitment to liberal education with the demands of wartime service. Like many institutions, Bowdoin adapted to national military needs, becoming a training ground for servicemen while working to preserve its intellectual traditions.

Bowdoin’s most famous military figure, President Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, was a Medal of Honor recipient and former governor of Maine. As president of the College, Chamberlain mandated military training in uniform for all students, believing it essential for developing leadership and discipline. However, this requirement was met with resistance; in 1874, students rebelled against the military drills, leading the College’s governing board to make military instruction voluntary before ultimately abolishing the program altogether.

Despite this decision, Bowdoin continued to play a role in military preparation during times of national crisis. During World War II, the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was instituted on campus, offering instruction in engineering, foreign languages, and medicine to meet wartime demands for technically skilled officers and soldiers. Conducted at 227 universities across the country, including Bowdoin, ASTP transformed the College into a site of military education while maintaining its liberal arts foundation.

President Kenneth Sills remained a staunch defender of liberal education throughout the war, ensuring that the humanities remained a central part of the curriculum. This commitment was reinforced by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1944 visit, where she urged students to engage in shaping the postwar world.

Though war altered daily life at Bowdoin, faculty and administrators resisted the complete militarization of higher education, reaffirming the College’s foundational belief in the enduring value of the liberal arts.