War and Remembrance:
Hope Brockway Recalls the WW II Years at Hofstra College

By Ginny Ehrlich-Greenberg ...continued

With war raging overseas, the young women of Hofstra pitched in to keep the campus they loved running as smoothly as possible. "We're talking about women in the '40s," said Hope. "Our roles were clearly defined as being at home and not working unless there was a monetary need in the family. So we were getting this education, but not all of us had a real career goal in mind. We wanted the education, and we had the interest. Speaking from my own experience, I wanted to try the workforce, but didn't imagine I would stay in it very long.

"But because of the men having left the campus, we as the women of Hofstra were put in the position of having to do everything or it wouldn't get done. So that meant working on The Chronicle, serving as the head of the Honor Court, student government, president of the class … everyone - all the women - took on roles that otherwise would not have been an option for them."

Hope wrote a column for The Chronicle, served on the Student Council, was president of Seawana sorority and secretary of the Kate Mason Society, and was a member of the Honor Court. "We all multitasked before it became a popular word. I really think we were a generation ahead of women's lib. It worked out that way because the skills we learned - such as knowing how to hold a meeting, how to run a club and how to delegate - we suddenly became very adept at…Those things, at least in my case, carried over later in life with running and working on organizations. In a strange way, that time was a huge boost getting me to try and do things that up until that point weren't always acceptable."

The students also leaned heavily on each other. "The word sisterhood is grossly overused," Hope said, "but there was a real tie we all shared because we were separated from the people we were dating, the people we felt were the biggest part of our lives up to that point. We were writing letters and waiting for them to have a leave. School was a wonderful focus for us to get through those tough times."

Meanwhile, Hofstra's financial picture was near desperate due to the drop in enrollment. "The classes of 1943 and 1944 had one yearbook between them! The 1943 photos were in the front and the 1944 photos were in the back. In 1943 there were a total of 99 photos with 52 being women. In 1944 there were a total of 46 photos with 39 being women. However, the trustees were asked to persevere. The knowledge that life would return to 'normal' and that veterans would seek educational institutions upon their return from overseas helped in this decision," she said.

World War II ended in 1945, and the fall of 1946, all previous enrollment figures were broken, said Geri. A student body of 1,824 (including an overwhelming number of veterans) swamped the campus. "Several years later, a double shift of classroom and facilities use was the only way that the demand for space could be met," she said. "The time was at hand for building and expanding the college. Athletics were reinstated, spring queens were crowned, pep rallies and parades again graced the campus."

Bob Brockway had returned home in 1944 and resumed his studies at Hofstra. Neither he nor Hope was the same person who set foot on the campus in September 1941. "It was a growing up time," Hope said. "More so than if we hadn't been through the war. Wars are very sobering. They take a big piece of your life."

The Brockways married in 1946, and their years following college were marked by great success.

Among the positions Bob has held are vice president of marketing for commercial electronics at Sylvania Electric, vice president and general manager of Manhattan Cable Television, president of CBS's video recording division, and president and CEO of Polygram Corporation. When Olympus Optical Company, Ltd., of Tokyo formed a U.S. subsidiary, Bob became chairman and CEO. He is a trustee emeritus of Hofstra University and a past recipient of the Hofstra Alumnus of the Year Award.

Hope did put the meeting and coordination skills she learned at Hofstra to steady use as co-founder of Huntington (NY) Meals on Wheels, officer of the Huntington Township Women's Club and director of the Huntington Hospital Visitation Program. Over the years she has been an elder, deacon and trustee of the Old First Church in Huntington, a trustee of the Long Island Presbytery, director of the Counseling Program at the Syosset Presbyterian Residence, officer of the Nathan Hale Garden Club and a trustee of the Lloyd Harbor Historical Society. After receiving a master's degree in counseling and community health, Hope was an instructor at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University.

The Brockways have three sons and four granddaughters.

Hope to this day is impressed by the fortitude and camaraderie she shared with her Hofstra classmates in the years during World War II. "We kept the spirit going until the guys came home."