▁later ▁promoted ▁to ▁captain . ▁She ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁Dean ▁of ▁Women ▁on ▁leave ▁from ▁Pur due ▁University , ▁and ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁W AV ES ▁( W omen ▁Accept ed ▁for ▁Vol unte er ▁Emer gency ▁Service ). ▁Str at ton ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁creating ▁the ▁na ut ical ▁name ▁of ▁SP AR S . ▁ ▁The ▁qual ifying ▁age ▁for ▁officer ▁candidates ▁was ▁between ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁ 5 0 , ▁and ▁required ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁college ▁degree , ▁or ▁two ▁years ' ▁of ▁college ▁and ▁two ▁years ' ▁of ▁professional ▁or ▁business ▁experience . ▁For ▁en list ed , ▁the ▁age ▁was ▁between ▁ 2 0 ▁and ▁ 3 6 , ▁and ▁required ▁to ▁have ▁completed ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁years ' ▁of ▁high ▁school . ▁Initial ly ▁only ▁white ▁women ▁were ▁rec ru ited ; ▁later ▁five ▁African - American ▁women ▁were ▁ ▁accepted ▁and ▁served . ▁The ▁agreement ▁reached ▁between ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁and ▁the ▁US CG ▁required ▁officer ▁candidates ▁receive ▁their ▁ind o ctr ination ▁at ▁Smith ▁College , ▁North am pton , ▁Massachusetts . ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁US CG ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁agreement , ▁and ▁the ▁ind o ctr ination ▁of ▁officer ▁candidates ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁US CG ▁Academy ▁at ▁New ▁London , ▁Connecticut . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁that ▁same ▁agreement , ▁en list ed ▁personnel ▁would ▁receive ▁their ▁training ▁on ▁college ▁camp uses ▁operated ▁for ▁such ▁by ▁the ▁Navy . ▁In