The Engineering, Science and Management War Training (ESMWT) program was established in 1940 as the Engineering Defense Training, which was later changed to Engineering, Science and Management Defense Training, and then to ESMWT. It was organized to train technical personnel quickly for war industry. Some of the courses were initiated entirely by the University of Minnesota, while others were at the specific request of individual industries. In the latter case, classes were usually restricted to employees of a particular manufacturing company and were many times held at the company headquarters.
The office was originally under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Technology but it was transferred to the General Extension Division, since courses were not confined to the Twin Cities area. Classes were organized wherever a need arose, usually being offered at the local college in the area.
From the guide to the Engineering, Science and Management War Training papers, 1940-1947, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])
