E. D. Davidson, County Superintendent of Schools in 1942, in his Foreword to the 1943 Public School Annual addressed the role of our public schools during "the greatest conflict the world has ever known" - World War II. He truly noted that "For the first time in our history it has become necessary to protect our children from the ravages of war." Students and teachers alike who spent the years from 1941 through 1945 in one or several of the Beaver County schools remember the air drills, the disciplined rush to basement halls, the diving of one's hunched-over body against the cold walls, or perhaps under one's desk, waiting for the all-clear signal. That they were always practice drills and not the real thing was our "lucky" difference from schools in Europe, northern Africa, the Far East.
The major role of our schools during the war years, wrote Superintendent Davidson, must be the instruction of children in the principles of American democracy and the ideals of a free people.
In addition, the schools served the country in more material ways. War stamps and bonds were sold in county schools. In 1944-1945, schools sold war stamps and bonds to a grand total of $17,127,765.00 and a further $6,198,388.50 in "E" bond sales. Ambridge historian Kathryn Ross noted that in the Seventh War Loan Drive the sales in Ambridge schools totaled $40,705.
Dr. Ralph Jewell notes in his Midland School history that demands were made upon the school to train adults for work in national defense industries. In Midland and in Aliquippa, shop shifts were scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily to provide instruction in welding, in electrical construction, and in machine too] operations. Federal funds were available for these classes under the Vocational Educational National Defense Training program. Curtis Wright Company and the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation were involved in these programs, for most classes supplying the instructors.
Finally, the teachers in all districts participated in registering men for the third and fourth selective service drafts. School days were allotted to this war service.
In the Public School Annual of 1943-1944 are listed the names of Beaver County teachers and school directors in the service of the United States Armed Forces as of March 1, 1944. The list may not be complete, but listed under twelve district headings and one heading for the county at large are the names of 112 men and women of the county schools' faculties who were serving in the Army, Navy, WACS, WAVES, SPARS, Red Cross, or as an Army or Navy nurse. Six school directors in the county are listed as serving in the Army. Twenty of the teachers in service were women.
The majority of teachers, those who did not enter the Armed Forces, served in the classrooms, conscious of the turmoils and perils of war. High school teachers feared what might lie ahead for their older students. Since we are speaking of American schools, the reader is justified in believing that "the principles of American democracy and the ideals of a free people" were taught casually as well as formally in the classrooms of Beaver County during World War II.