Buildings & Grounds

Because of the S.A.T.C. program's implementation at Knox, the campus' appearance underwent dramatic transformation during World War I.  Most notably, the barracks, constructed near Willard Field and the auxiliary gym during the war, were a subject of much discussion on campus. The following photographs show the barracks' construction, as well as the finished product. 

Notably, Kellogg McClelland, a former Knox student himself, wrote to Dr. James McConaughy (the future president of Knox College) about the barracks in his capacity as an employee of the Ordnance Department in Washington. McClelland is featured later in the exhibit, in the section entitled "Civil Workers." 

Other new campus areas included the Y Hut. The Y Hut was used as a place to hold lectures, sing-alongs, and boxing matches for soldiers. The building was also utilized during the 1918 influenza pandemic to house afflicted students.

Camp Knox, the headquarters for the S.A.T.C. on campus, affected campus life in a multitude of ways. Knox's campus would never be quite the same again after the war. 

Students drilling became a regular sight on Knox's campus. These training grounds were created on Willard Field to approximate a war-torn area full of shell holes and other obstacles in which students could train for combat.