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The History of the GI BillBy Brittany L. Hammond

+ What is theGI Bill?

+Basic History of the First GI Bill

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 Signed into law on June 22, 1944 (amidst the

Normandy Invasion) First bill dedicated to helping veterans upon their return

from war Criteria: honorable discharge; 90 days of service Educational Benefits: up to 48 months of tuition, fees,

books, and monthly stipends (depended upon length of service)

+The American Legion MagazineJanuary and February 1969

Summary: Members of the American Legion were at the forefront of the effort to enact the GI Bill; it took about one month to draft and about 7 months to get passed by Congress after undergoing a great deal of opposition. The GI Bill was the result of lessons learned dating back to the Revolutionary War. Too many veteran’s returned home only to rely on charity to survive. To prevent this, the “GI Bill of Rights” focused on opportunity by enabling war veterans to get back on their feet when they re-entered the civilian sector. “Educational opportunity” was just one of the key components of the GI Bill; other benefits included vocational/on-the-job training, unemployment compensation, loans for homes, farms, and small businesses, etc.

Link: http://www.legion.org/education/history

+The American Legion MagazineJanuary and February 1969

+Historical PerspectivesOctober 2013

Summary: The educational component of the GI Bill proved highly beneficial to both veterans and the nation. Approximately half of the 16 million who served between 1940-1945 pursued higher education or vocational training. In turn, a strong white middle class developed and more Americans shifted to higher tax brackets. The return on investment was beyond comprehension. Not all WWII veterans benefitted from the educational opportunities, though. Many black war veterans returned to poverty and were unable to use the benefits of higher education as a result of poor educational backgrounds. In addition, Historically Black College Universities (HBCUs) did not have adequate space to support the influx of students; in total, approximately 20,000 black veterans were unable to enroll.

+NBC Learn – Higher EdNBC News – March 29, 1992

Brief Video

+Follow-on GI Bills

Korean War Vietnam War (first time benefits were offered to

peacetime veterans) Montgomery GI Bill (requires service member

contributions) Post-9/11 GI Bill (benefits may be transferred to

dependents)

+Class Discussion: Who Did/Does the GI Bill Benefit?

+Resources

Jolly, J. L. (2013). Historical perspectives: The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. Gifted Child Today, 36(4), 266-268. doi: 10.1177/1076217513497578

Pitkin, R. B. (1969, January). How the first GI Bill was written. The American Legion Magazine, 24-28, 51-53.

Williams, M. A. (1992, March 3). The GI Bill. NBC News. Video retrieved from https://highered-nbclearn-com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/portal/site/HigherEd

Questions?