There's a famous photo from 1941 of students learning about the attack of Pearl Harbor. Here, on a sticky night in the middle of August, the students gathered to celebrate V-J day with university president Luther Duncan.

Duncan moved from the Extension Service to become university president in 1935, a position he held until his death in 1947. He was a political animal, not universally respected in the office, but he presided during a critical time for the university.

There's no readily accessible record of what was said on this night, with peace coming at last. Maybe there was less thought given then to memorializing such a somber, joyous moment.

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