Mathematics in Our Schools and Its Contribution to War

Until a year ago, statements that our high school graduates could not do arithmetic were dismissed as of no consequence, in fact, were almost not believed. But Admiral Nimitz's letter concerning the failures in arithmetic tests given recruits entering the Navy, coming as it did at the very beginning of the War, got people more “arithmetic minded” in a few weeks than had all the efforts of teachers of mathematics in our secondary schools and colleges in nearly twenty years. Suddenly arithmetic has been revived. Suddenly there has been a large increase in the number taking courses in mathematics in the secondary schools. Suddenly there has been a large increase in the number taking courses in secondary mathematics at the University. During the semester now closing we have had 3600 students in our department as against 3000 one year ago. This is an increase of 20%, though our University enrollment dropped from 15,000 to 11,000, and enrollment in advanced courses in mathematics suffered a large drop during the same interval. We have had 1100 people taking courses in secondary mathematics. We have had 500 taking intermediate algebra with background of but one year of elementary algebra.