After graduating from St. Mark's School, Bigelow began attending Harvard University in 1917 while much of the student body had left for Europe to fight in World War I. Due to the lack of available athletes, Harvard had suspended both its varsity and freshman ice hockey teams for the duration of the war and only an informal agglomeration existed. In November of the following year the war ended with the 1918 armistice and the surviving undergraduates began to return to their respective colleges. Harvard, as well as several other colleges, were quick to restart their ice hockey programs and Bigelow was among the players that appeared for the team in 1919. Harvard finished the season with an undefeated record (7–0), however, because the team played only three intercollegiate games and many schools had yet to return, no championship was either conferred or claimed for the season.