During World War II, O'Donnell offered Notre Dame's facilities to the armed forces. The Navy accepted his offer and installed Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units on campus as part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program. Soon after the installation, there were only a few hundred civilian students at Notre Dame. O'Donnell continued O'Hara's work with the graduate school. He formalized the graduate program further and replaced the previous committee of graduate studies with a dean.
During World War II O'Donnell offered Notre Dame's facilities to the armed forces The Navy accepted his offer and installed Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) units on campus as part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program Soon after the installation there were only a few hundred civilian students at Notre Dame O'Donnell continued O'Hara's work with the graduate school He formalized the graduate program further and replaced the previous committee of graduate studies with a dean