Transferring to the University of Washington

In September of 1943 we were required to select our major.  I debated for quite a long time between Naval Architecture and a line officer’s commission, Civil Engineering and a request for the Colorado University at Boulder (in my basic Engineering Drawing class I had gotten interested in bridges and dams), and Aeronautical Engineering which would result in an aviation specialist commission.

The latter won out.  First because airplanes and flying were my first loves and, second, because the best aeronautical engineering school would be the University of Washington in Seattle and I would be within reasonable commuting distance of Vancouver for weekends and leaves.  In that regard I was influenced, I must admit, by Shirley’s urging that I do that.  I made application for transfer to the University of Washington in aeronautical engineering on September 16^th, according to my very brief little diary.

By that time, I had bought my grades back up to close to a 4.0 and that placed me high on the list for choice of transfer.  Captain Burnett, the V-12 commanding officer, approved my request and on 15 October when the trees on the Notre Dame campus were a glory of fall colors, my transfer came through approved.  The semester ended the following week.  After saying my goodbyes to Rossi, Brother Justin, the blonde softball player, and the lady at the Music Box organ, I left for Vancouver on the 20^th of October on three days delayed orders before reporting to the V-12 unit at the University of Washington on November 1^st.