its degree offerings in the late 1930s and awarded its first Ph.D. in 1940. Other programs at the college likewise began offering doctoral degrees throughout the next few decades. During World War II, Texas A&M produced soldiers, sailors, and Marines for the United States' war effort; of these, 14,123 were officers, more than the combined total of the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy and more than three times the totals of any other Senior Military College. Seven Aggies received the Medal of Honor during the worldwide conflict, tying with Virginia Tech as the most of any school outside of the military academies at West Point and Annapolis, and reached the rank of general. In addition, the college received nationwide exposure during the war when a reporter wrote a widely distributed story about the Aggie Muster on the island of Corregidor. The intense interest resulted in a World War II propaganda movie, We've Never Been Licked, which was filmed on the A&M campus and showcased many of the school traditions. Though Texas A&M was originally established as a branch of the yet-to-be-created University of Texas, subsequent acts of the Texas Legislature never gave the University any authority over Texas A&M. This internal legal conflict in Texas was nullified in 1948 when Texas A&M became the flagship school of the newly created Texas A&M University System, a clear and separate institution from the University of Texas System. A&M's Board of Directors continued to oversee the system. It is of note that the state constitution never was amended to confirm the separation between the university systems. Enrollment soared as many former soldiers used the G.I. Bill to further their education. Unprepared for the growth, between 1949 and 1953 Texas A&M used the former Bryan Air Force Base as an extension of the campus. An estimated lived, studied, ate, showered, and attended classes at the base, which became known as the Annex (and later as Riverside Campus). In 1955, senior cadets at Texas A&M created the MSC Student Conference on National Affairs after attending SCUSA at the United States Military Academy at West Point to further the 'other education' of A&M and bring high caliber students and speakers from across Texas and the nation together to discuss issues of national importance. The keynote speaker at SCONA 1 in 1955 was United States Army Major General William J. Donovan, founder