Polytechnic Institute of Technology

At the Polytechnic Institute of Technology (Poly) situated in Brooklyn, New York, everything continued as normal during the early 1930s. At the time, Poly was a renowned all-male engineering institution that many saw as a pathway to the middle class, often by working during the day and attending evening sessions. As tensions rose around the world with developments in Europe, global anticipation of conflict grew. Through The Polytechnic Reporter, the student newspaper at Poly, we can gain a sense of what life and the overall atmosphere at Poly were like leading up to the war.

Unfortunately, the editions of The Polytechnic Reporter from the war years, as well as some from the years leading up to it, have suffered mold damage and are currently undergoing treatment, making them inaccessible and creating an archival silence. However, from the 1940 edition, I found the following excerpt:

Figure 2 – The Polytechnic Reporter of October 9, 1940 (“The Polytechnic Reporter,” 1939-1940)

Though most of The Polytechnic Reporter did not mention the developing situation across the Atlantic, this excerpt (Figure 2) referred to "National Defense Courses" being taught at Poly, sponsored by the federal government. The statistics for acceptance into the courses are given: 3,000 people applied, but only 64 were vetted and enrolled. Such a program demonstrates that neither Poly nor the United States was entirely negligent of the rising conflicts in Europe, as this program appeared numerous times.

However, it is somewhat surprising—and this is why the unavailability of the more "relevant" editions is unfortunate—that most content focused on social life and general Poly news, rather than developments abroad. This leads me to believe that Poly students were relatively sheltered from the unfolding events. To a degree, this makes sense; Europe was far away, and the United States was not yet directly affected or within Hitler’s immediate reach.

Since more detailed information about Poly during the war is either non-existent or currently unavailable, it is difficult to speak definitively about the institution's state and mentality during this time. However, based on historical context—such as the military draft at the student level and the gradual influx of European scientists to Poly, including Hermann Mark in 1940—one can assume that the war had a tremendous impact on reshaping Poly, particularly in the years following.

One could argue that a key component of this transformation was the arrival of European scientists, who introduced new research and ideas that propelled Poly forward—Hermann Mark’s pioneering work in polymers being a prime example. The following sections will explore these figures in greater detail, focusing on Hermann Mark and Herbert Morawetz, who joined Poly a bit later and continued to build upon the foundations Mark had established.