Frequently
Asked Questions 
Frequently
Asked Questions December 15 1943
From: The Chief of Naval Personnel
To: All ships and stations
1. It may be helpful to clarify the policies of the Bureau of
Naval Personnel with regard to the selection of applicants to
fill V-12 quotas by commands having jurisdiction over both white
and Negro personnel.
2. The reason why this bureau has not attempted to establish separate
quotas for any racial minority or for any activity containing
exclusively members of a racial minority is because such a procedure
would itself be discriminatory. For this reason also the Bureau
has not asked any command, in distributing V-12 quotas, to allocate
its quota so that anyone need be selected by virtue of their race.
3. It should be well understood that every candidate will be considered
for Class V-12 under the quota assigned to the command in which
he serves, without regard to his race, color, or creed. This will
mean in the future, as it has meant in the past, that when Negro
personnel are found to be among the best qualified V-12 candidates
in competition with all other eligible candidates who compete
under the same quota, they will be selected.
L. E. Denfeld
The Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel
Prepared 4 December 1943
Source: Bureau of Naval Personnel Circular Letters, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.
Definition: V-12 was College Training Program (US Naval Reserve classification)
July 1999