Influences and Impacts

National Chronology

What was the impact of New Mexico's reputation as a "healing climate" on UNM graduation rates? Between 1880 and 1940, thousands of people immigrated to New Mexico seeking to cure their tuberculosis, which was the leading cause of death in the U.S. at that time. By 1920, it was estimated that 10% of New Mexico's population consisted of tuberculosis patients.

Did World War I impact UNM graduation rates? The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. 

Did the Great Depression impact UNM graduation rates? On "Black Thursday," October 29, 1929, the U.S. Stock market crashed.  By 1933, half of U.S. banks had failed, and unemployment was close to 30%.

Did World War II impact UNM graduation rates? On December 7, 1941, the US entered World War II in response to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

What was the impact of the GI Bill on UNM graduation rates?  The Servicemen's Readjustment Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1944. In Women, Science, and Myth, Sue Vilhauer Rosser writes:

The GI Bill made a college education possible for more than a million veterans, but 97% of veterans were male, so women barely benefited from this new opportunity. On the contrary, to make room for the returning veterans, many women's colleges began to accept male students, and quotas for women students were instituted at many coeducational schools...The needs of the war effort had stretched gender roles, but antifeminism remained strong and women were pushed out of academic institutions at all levels to make room for returning men.

You can explore these and other questions by looking at the data visualizations.