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From: "Sally Pavia" <>
Subject: [GENEALOGYBITSANDPIECES] TODAY IN HISTORY . JUNE 22 , , ,FDR Signs G I Bill
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:22:22 -0700

1944 : FDR signs G.I. Bill

On this day in 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I.
Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning
members of the armed services--known as G.I.s--for their efforts in World
War II.

As the last of its sweeping New Deal reforms, Roosevelt's administration
created the G.I. Bill--officially the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of
1944--hoping to avoid a relapse into the Great Depression after the war
ended. FDR particularly wanted to prevent a repeat of the Bonus March of
1932, when 20,000 unemployed veterans and their families flocked in protest
to Washington. The American Legion, a veteran's organization, successfully
fought for many of the provisions included in the bill, which gave returning
servicemen access to unemployment compensation, low-interest home and
business loans, and--most importantly--funding for education.

By giving veterans money for tuition, living expenses, books, supplies and
equipment, the G.I. Bill effectively transformed higher education in America
Before the war, college had been an option for only 10-15 percent of young
Americans, and university campuses had become known as a haven for the most
privileged classes. By 1947, in contrast, vets made up half of the nation's
college enrollment; three years later, nearly 500,000 Americans graduated
from college, compared with 160,000 in 1939.

As educational institutions opened their doors to this diverse new group of
students, overcrowded classrooms and residences prompted widespread
improvement and expansion of university facilities and teaching staffs. An
array of new vocational courses were developed across the country, including
advanced training in education, agriculture, commerce, mining and
fishing--skills that had previously been taught only informally.

The G.I. Bill became one of the major forces that drove an economic
expansion in America that lasted 30 years after World War II. Only 20
percent of the money set aside for unemployment compensation under the bill
was given out, as most veterans found jobs or pursued higher education. Low
interest home loans enabled millions of American families to move out of
urban centers and buy or build homes outside the city, changing the face of
the suburbs. Over 50 years, the impact of the G.I. Bill was enormous, with
20 million veterans and dependents using the education benefits and 14
million home loans guaranteed, for a total federal investment of $67 billion


Sally Rolls Pavia

"We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds."
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