Donald, who made a great record with the Yankee farm team only to have to retire because of a
"dead" arm. Second, Emerson "Steve" Roser pitched for the Yankees and did well. Next was
Jack Phillips who played for the Sampson Naval Training Base during the war, and later played
for the Yankees and other major league teams.
Rothermel, Pitcher.
While in training in the Navy V-12 Unit at Cornell in September, Alfred
Rothermel '48 made a remarkable performance on the baseball diamond when he pitched
against the Sampson All-Stars team from the nearby Sampson Naval Training Base. Allowing
no earned runs and only 10 hits to a team that boasted of more than a handful of ex-major
leaguers, the 18-year-old Rothermel pitched the entire game but lost 6-0.
This was made even more remarkable by the roster of the opposing team which listed
some impressive baseball stars, including Mickey Owen as catcher, and Clarkson's own Jack
Phillips at third base. Three of baseball's most famous pitchers, Al Lyons, Hal White, and
Johnny Van DerMeer pitched three innings each.
Draft Deferments.
In answer to one of the most pressing questions in the minds of civilian
students, President Ross in January issued a statement that although the actual number of
deferments had not yet been determined, he believed that there would be a sufficient number to
take care of all eligible civilian needs.
To be eligible for a deferment, a student had to be in good standing, that is, he could not
be on probation; he had to be 18 years of age or older at the time of his request; and he could
not be classified as 4-F or classification which eliminated his induction into the armed services.
Most important of all, he had to have passed at least 18 credit hours and received 18 honor
points during the semester immediately preceding the request for deferment, and have at least a
satisfactory average in all courses at the time of the request for deferment. That meant that no
one major would have preference over the others, and that all students would be considered
equally.
The president stressed that the College only requested deferments. The actual act of
assigning one to any person was an action entirely at the discretion of the Local Draft Board at
which each student was registered.
Then in April, President Roosevelt issued his order that all men between the ages of 18
and 26 had to have a pre-induction physical examination. Following that order, notice was sent
to local draft boards that all men who were classified either 2-A and 2-B were to have physical
examinations as soon as possible. The Selective Service stated that the usual 10 day notice of
pre-induction physical still would be given.
Behind this seemingly drastic emergency action lay the goal of determining exactly just
how many men actually were unfit for military service. Then the War Manpower Commission
could apportion its men more efficiently. This also meant that not all those who passed the
physical would be inducted; a few deferments were expected to be issued, depending on the
report of the Commission in Washington, D.C.
This call-up affected Clarkson because the local draft board was expected to send the
local men for physicals on April 22, the date when the next group of inductees was scheduled to
leave Potsdam. That date coincided with the planned date of the Junior Prom. News of this
caused considerable concern. The Prom, however, was not cancelled or rescheduled, and was
held on April 22.
