Editing Robert Menzies (section)

===University===
In 1913, Menzies entered the [[Melbourne Law School]]. He won a variety of prizes, exhibitions, and scholarships during his time as a student, graduating as a [[Bachelor of Laws]] (LL.B.) in 1916 and a [[Master of Laws]] (LL.M.) in 1918. He did, however, fail Latin in his first year.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://museumsandcollections.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1379056/10_Stone-Berryman_Menzies12.pdf|title=The Robert Menzies Collection at the University of Melbourne |author=Caitlin Stone and Jim Berryman|year=2013|publisher=University of Melbourne|access-date=2 June 2018}}</ref> One of his prize-winning essays, ''The Rule of Law During the War'', was published as a brochure with an introduction by [[Harrison Moore]], the law school dean. In 1916, Menzies was elected president of the [[University of Melbourne Student Union|Student Representatives' Council]] and editor of the ''Melbourne University Magazine''. He wrote both prose and poetry for the magazine,{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=20}} and also contributed a song about "little [[Billy Hughes]]" to an end-of-year [[revue]].{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=24}} Menzies was also president of the Students' Christian Union, a founding member of the Historical Society, and a prominent member of the Law Students' Society. He had "a reputation as an "unusually bright and articulate member of the undergraduate community", and was known as a skilful debater.{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=20}} However, he had also begun to develop the traits of pomposity and arrogance that would cause difficulties later in his career. His fellow law student and future parliamentary colleague [[Percy Joske]] noted Menzies as a student "did not suffer fools gladly [...] the trouble was that his opponents frequently were not fools and that he tended to say things that were not only cutting and unkind but that were unjustified".<ref>{{cite book |author=Percy Joske |title=Sir Robert Menzies, 1894–1978: A New, Informal Memoir |year=1978 |publisher=Angus & Robertson |pages=19–20|author-link=Percy Joske }}</ref>

During World War I, Menzies served his compulsory militia service in the [[Melbourne University Regiment|Melbourne University Rifles]] (a part-time militia unit)<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/menzies/before-office.aspx | title=Before office - Robert Menzies (26 April 1939 – 29 August 1941; 19 December 1949 – 26 January 1966) and Pattie Menzies | access-date=26 September 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928175709/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/menzies/before-office.aspx | archive-date=28 September 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> from 1915 to 1919.{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=29}} This unit was not efficient and Menzies noted in his diary that training in even basic skills such as rifle shooting was sub-standard.{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=29}} He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 6 January 1915.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232451699/25004581 |title=Military Forces of the Commonwealth |newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |issue=32 |date=24 April 1915 |page=739 }}</ref> Unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not volunteer for overseas service, something that would later be used against him by political opponents; in 1939 he described it as "a stream of mud through which I have waded at every campaign in which I have participated". Menzies never publicly addressed the reasons for his decision not to enlist, stating only that they were "compelling" and related to his "intimate personal and family affairs".{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=275}} His two older brothers did serve overseas. In a 1972 interview, his brother [[Frank Menzies]] recalled that a "family conference" had determined that Robert should not enlist. They believed that having two of the family's three adult sons serving overseas was a sufficiently patriotic contribution to the war effort, and that the family's interests would be served best by Robert continuing his academic career.{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=30}} Another reason for keeping one of the elder sons home was the health of their father, James, who was physically unwell and emotionally unstable at the time.<ref>Troy Bramston (2019), ''Robert Menzies: the art of politics'', Melbourne, Scribe, p.35. {{ISBN|9781925713671}}</ref> It has been noted that, as a student, Menzies supported the introduction of [[1916 Australian conscription referendum|compulsory overseas conscription]], which if implemented would have made him one of the first to be conscripted.{{sfn|Martin, Allan (1993)|page=29}} Promoted to lieutenant, he resigned his commission with effect from 16 February 1921.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/232182160/25022835 |title=Australian Military Forces |newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |issue=27 |date=24 March 1921 |page=470}}</ref>