The Wesleyan-Trinity Summer School was a joint summer school program which was created during WWII to enable both Wesleyan and Trinity students to accelerate their education and graduate early before joining the military.

During the first year of America's involvement in World War II, the College's enrollment did not decline sharply. Still, the College encouraged students to embrace as much of their education as possible before following their “obligations to their nation,” which was highly encouraged by the College. In order to complete this goal, the College introduced several measures to accelerate the undergraduate curricula, such as shortened vacations and exam periods, and Commencement was able to take place on May 17, 1942.

That summer, the College also introduced the Wesleyan-Trinity Summer School, which offered a joint summer term in which from May 18th to June 27th, Wesleyan faculty offered courses in Middletown, followed by six weeks in Hartford taught by Trinity faculty.

The project was successful despite the original shock, with President Ogilby stating, “Trinity and Wesleyan, close neighbors and therefore naturally rivals, may be safely termed today natural friends.”

The program did not continue the following year, despite its success, and Trinity followed a three-term school year.

Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter J. Knapp, pp. 97.

Website: Trinity College Digital Repository.