Skip to main content

1942: More Milestones

 

1942, despite being the mid-point of the World War II conflict, was also a momentous year for Bentley. The School celebrated its 25th anniversary even as it struggled to remain afloat with so few young men able to commit themselves to education. 

The 25th Anniversary was a welcome opportunity for those in the Bentley community to have something to celebrate amidst the difficulties of war time. 

1942 also stood out as the year that women returned to Bentley. Although women who attended during World War I had been allowed to complete their course, no new women were enrolled during the interwar period. 

Between the return of female enrollment in July 1942, through the first post-war school year in 1946, just over 1,000 women took classes at the Bentley School. They made up a large majority of the student population during those years, and are often credited with keeping the school afloat.

Female students did not only support the college financially, but enriched it academically. The benefits of a co-educational school became obvious, and after the end of World War II, admission was permanently granted to female students. Bentley has remained co-educational ever since.