Although Mrs. Somers was the founder of the school, Mrs. Hensley had seen the school through a period of tremendous growth, and is credited with substantially improving the faculty. She was replaced by Jean Dean Cole, a former Seminary student and Mount Holyoke College graduate. Under her leadership, the school established a Junior College as a separate unit. Mount Vernon Seminary and Junior College operated together, but with a clear distinction between the two—the four year preparatory school and the two year junior college section. Until that time, students had to study for a complete six years before receiving a diploma. In 1936, Jean Dean Cole resigned. Mr. George Lloyd became the fourth president of the college and his wife, Mrs. Olwen Lloyd became Headmistress in 1938. During World War II, volunteer war work became a part of life at Mount Vernon, with students participating in air raid drills, nurses' aid training, and Red Cross work. In 1942, the United States Navy informed Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd that they planned to take over the Nebraska Avenue campus and use its facilities for the war effort; to be called the Naval Communications Annex for intelligence work. Students went home for Christmas break not knowing if their school would re-open after the holidays. The Board of Trustees began searching for a new location for the school. The Nebraska Avenue campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. Spring Valley, 1943–1946 In early 1943, the campus was relocated to the top floor of a Garfinckel's department store building in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, D.C. All but nine students returned to the school which re-opened on February 1, 1943; This was a spread out campus located in the store and different homes that were purchased in the neighbourhood; 162 students had to be boarded out. While in Spring Valley, the school began examining its programs and realized that it was operating essentially two different schools, the Seminary and the junior college. This placed the school under a severe financial and administrative drain. The school considered closing one arm of the school but tabled the idea at the time. The school applied for accreditation and began awarding the Associates of Arts degree in 1944 to junior college graduates. Foxhall Road 1946–1999 In 1944, Mount Vernon was granted compensation of $1.038 million from the United States Navy for the military