World War I required a draft due to not having enough volunteers in the Army. At first the
draft only required men ages 21 to 30 in 1917 but by 1918 it was men ages 18 to 45. The
University of Wisconsin-Madison played its part by offering students who volunteered or who
were drafted school credit that could count towards their degree. Students who had proof of
service (their military records) and testimony from professors could receive graduation or
anywhere from 1 to 3 credits per class depending on class standing and time completed in the
Service. Upon application, students were awarded graduation, semester credit, a war
certificate, a war dipoloma, or some combination of these.
