Influenza at the Normal: WMU and the 1918 Pandemic

It’s undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our lives. And for many of us in the United States, it’s the first pandemic we’ve ever experienced. 

However, it’s not the first pandemic to significantly impact Western Michigan University’s campus. The 1918 influenza pandemic was one of the most significant health crises to impact WMU’s campus before COVID-19. 

The 1918 influenza pandemic—often referred to as the Spanish influenza—is considered one of the most severe pandemics in U.S. history. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the influenza pandemic “was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of an avian origin.” As the virus spread swiftly across the globe from 1918-1919, an estimated 500 million people were infected, and the death toll was “to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States,” according to the CDC. 

Dr. Sharon Carlson, professor emerita of the University Libraries, and Lynn Houghton, regional history curator, shared a presentation on the 1918 pandemic and its impact at WMU during an event hosted by University Libraries in March 2021.  

Before the presentation, we chatted with Dr. Carlson to learn more about the 1918 pandemic and how it affected WMU and southwest Michigan. 

Influenza at the Normal: WMU and the 1918 Pandemic 
A Q&A with Dr. Sharon Carlson 

Where and how did the 1918 influenza pandemic start?  

It isn’t really known how it started, but the first documented cases in the United States were on a poultry farm in Haskell County, Kansas, in January 1918. The disease soon spread from the farm to Camp Funston, about 300 miles from the original farm. Soldiers who traveled home and then returned to the military base caused the first spread of the virus. Once it reached Camp Funston, conditions helped further the spread.  

The camp had been built in July 1917 to prepare new soldiers for World War I. It was designed to hold about 40,000 soldiers. By 1917, barracks were overcrowded, and supplies were low. There were subsequent outbreaks at other military bases. The initial cases were not as deadly. The 1918 flu is often described as coming in three waves. The second wave would be the deadliest. 

When did the influenza first appear in Michigan?  

Most of the flu in Michigan that occurred in the early fall was part of a second deadlier wave of the flu. It likely appeared in Michigan by late March. An article in the Detroit Free Press in early April reported on an odd flu-like ailment that was appearing in large numbers in the city. There were many deaths in Detroit over the month of April, according to later articles in the Free Press.  

The Kalamazoo Gazette had featured stories on the spread of the flu throughout the world for many months, but it wasn’t until September [1918] that the articles referenced a real fear of the flu and its potential impact on the city. The September 30 [1918] edition of the Kalamazoo Gazette reported that the flu had hit Kalamazoo pretty hard. There was also periodical reporting on the conditions and number of cases at Camp Custer (now Fort Custer), another base that had been built for World War I. There were 40,000 soldiers stationed there at the time of the article. 

What did the state do to mitigate the spread? 

In early October, there was still some doubt at the state level as to what the severity would be. By mid-October, the Governor [Albert Sleeper] closed public places. Because Western had the Student Army Training Corps (SATC), it did not close; but events on campus slowed down. The state-wide ban lasted about one month. At that time, the state left it up to municipalities. Kalamazoo went along with the lifting of the restrictions; but as the flu continued to worsen, the city enacted its own ban on Dec. 15. 

How did this pandemic affect WMU students in 1918-1919? 

Eight students died between October and December [1918]. Portions of the campus closed. The first to close included extension courses (today’s WMUx), followed by WMU’s K-12 teacher training program (teacher internships). Western had been exempted from the state closure because of the SATC.  

WMU’s campus was closed by the City of Kalamazoo on Dec. 15, after Governor Sleeper eventually lifted the state-wide closure for Michigan and left it at the discretion of local authorities. It effectively ended the quarter a week early. One of the rationales given was that the war (WWI) was winding down, and the SATC wasn’t as necessary. 

What impact did the closure and pandemic have on students at this time? 

To the students, their experiences on campus during the influenza pandemic remained in their memories. The class of 1919 and 1920 both mentioned the impact of the influenza in their Brown & Gold yearbooks. The 1919 commencement featured a memorial service honoring the war casualties, including George Habel and Henry Perkins (two students who died of the flu). 

We know that several WMU students contracted influenza. What happened on campus? 

Western operated on a quarter system at that time (not a semester system), and classes started later. At the first general assembly of the fall on Oct. 8, 1918, President Waldo introduced Dr. Leroy Harvey (Harvey Hall, Valley 2 is named for him) as the head of a health committee. Dr. Harvey encouraged the students to practice good hygiene, eat healthy food, and exercise. He came up with a list of what he called “prophylactic measures” to prevent the flu. These had already been published in the Western Herald. These included gargling and washing out the nasal passages every morning and night, covering the nose when coughing or sneezing, not sharing towels, washing hands frequently, avoiding crowds, frequent bathing, and regular elimination (of the bowels). 

On Oct. 10, 1918, the social committee of Western Normal banned all large gatherings. This included athletic events, movies, and dances, the ban completely restricted the social lives of students.  

What short- and long-term impacts did the pandemic have on WMU and the Kalamazoo area?

In Kalamazoo, preliminary information in the newspaper suggested that drastic action would not be necessary. Dr. Rockwell, the health officer for the City of Kalamazoo, attended a meeting in early October in Lansing. Still, the Kalamazoo State Hospital closed to visitors by Oct. 5. 

One week later, the governor was calling for no public meetings and requesting that churches and theatres close. The next week, the governor officially closed public places. It was announced in news sources on Oct. 19. 

There were shortages of health aides and nurses to help the sick. Articles in the Kalamazoo Gazette called upon women to volunteer for employment as health aides and also solicited former nurses (suggesting that those who were married and had left the field) to return and help care for the sick. There were anticipated shortages of hospital beds for the sick. One local citizen offered up his large home on South Street as a hospital site to care for the sick. 

Kalamazoo reported 4,026 cases of influenza, including 126 deaths. The report of deaths is probably low because many people died of secondary illnesses and infections. Pneumonia was often the final cause of death following the flu.

WMU was 15 years old in 1918. What was campus like back then? 

There were about 1,000 students on campus. Tuition for the summer term was $6 and for the fall term $10. There were no residence halls, and so students typically lived in rooming houses in the adjacent Vine neighborhood, where they paid $4 to $5 a week. The rooming houses varied, and probably some were overcrowded. Students would have walked to campus or taken the trolley that operated from Davis Street to the campus. We didn’t have student government. The two most influential organizations on campus were the Women’s League and the campus branch of the YWCA. Western did have football, basketball, baseball, and track teams at this point. Intercollegiate athletics for women was still more than 50 years in the future. 

The campus was much smaller and concentrated on Oakland Drive. There were two buildings that had been constructed for the institution, Heritage Hall and Science Hall (formerly West Hall and no longer standing). Western also had acquired an old mill near the campus on Oakland Drive that was used for manual arts and later theatre. Western constructed some barracks for the Student Army Training Corps, Western’s contribution to World War I. Programmatically, Western offered courses and programs for teachers. At this time, the State of Michigan’s requirements for teaching certificates were becoming more rigorous, and new teachers entering the field would soon require a bachelor’s degree. Western was just beginning to offer the coursework for a bachelor’s degree.  

What was Kalamazoo like in 1918?  

Kalamazoo had a population of about 50,000 residents. It was known for paper production and also for the adjacent farm crop, celery. Most people walked or took the extensive street-car system to get around Kalamazoo. Cars were starting to appear but continued to co-exist with horse-drawn buggies. The city and outlying areas were much more differentiated because the automobile hadn’t really begun to dictate housing patterns as it would in another decade or two.

People attended theaters for entertainment. These would have been silent movies with musical backgrounds or traveling vaudeville-type entertainment. Many people belonged to lodges and clubs, providing a venue for networking and socializing.

There were three hospitals in the community. Old Borgess (Kalamazoo’s first hospital)  in the downtown area near present-day WMed on Portage Avenue was the first hospital. Bronson had been built in 1905, and New Borgess was located on Gull Road in its present location. It was about a year old. Old Borgess, located in a converted house, continued to operate until about 1929 and eventually closed.   

When did the pandemic end?  

The flu continued with some cases and a few clusters in 1919 and 1920 but nothing as serious as the second wave of 1918. By 1921, the Kalamazoo Gazette was reporting there had been few cases. This also coincided with some major societal shifts and the nation entering an era of prosperity. The Roaring ‘20s followed the end of World War I and brought about changes in technology and society, as well as the changing role of women. Memories are short, and in time, the flu was forgotten. 

Can you see any parallels to what we’ve experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic?  

There are many parallels, and some of them are startling and upsetting.  

U.S. President Wilson did not comprehend the seriousness of the flu initially. Wilson was focused on the war. Health authorities in Michigan and Kalamazoo also thought the risk was low. Of course, this changed over time. 

Health care workers were in short supply. Articles in the Kalamazoo Gazette called upon women to volunteer for employment as health aids and also solicited former nurses, perhaps those who were married and had left the field, to return and help care for the sick. 

There were anticipated shortages of hospital beds for the sick. One local citizen offered up his large home on South Street as a hospital site to care for the sick.  

Competing business interests desperately wanted to reopen theatres and other public venues because it was economically devastating. In Kalamazoo, theater owners were very vocal.  

Want to learn more about the 1918 pandemic and WMU? Watch Dr. Carlson and Ms. Houghton’s Influenza at the Normal presentation.