YMCA Armed Services Department general administrative records
SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
The collection consists of records documenting the administration of the YMCA's Army and Navy Department, later known as the Armed Services Department (and subsequently spun off as the Armed Services YMCA), which worked to meet the recreational, spiritual, educational, and other welfare needs of individuals serving in or associated with the United States armed services. Records date from the era of the Civil War through the early 1990s, particularly during the period from the time of the first world war through the Korean war, and include histories and other background information, correspondence, reports, financial data, personnel records, and other material.
Dates
- 1863-1992
- Majority of material found within ( 1890-1981).
Creator
Language of Materials
English
Use of Materials:
This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.
KEY DATES IN THE HISTORY OF YMCA ARMED SERVICES WORK
- 1861
- The New York YMCA organizes an effort to aid an encampment of soldiers on their way to fight in the Civil War. Following the lead of the New York Association, in November a coalition of 15 northern Associations join together to form the United States Christian Commission, the nation's first large-scale civilian volunteer service corps.
- 1861-1865
- During its four years of operation, the U.S. Christian Commission recruits 5,000 volunteer "delegates" who served in every theater of the war. They distribute more than 100,000 cases of food, clothing and medical supplies, and 12 million books, magazines and pamphlets, write more than 90,000 letters for the sick and wounded, and distribute $1,000 a week in postage for the soldiers' use.
- 1889
- The YMCA establishes its first permanent Army YMCA in Fort Monroe, Virginia.
- 1898
- The Army and Navy Christian Commission of the International Committee of the YMCA is organized to provide relief efforts during the Spanish-American War. With the end of the war later that year, the name changes to the Army and Navy Department.
- 1899
- The first Army/Navy YMCA building is constructed in Brooklyn, New York.
- 1917
- The United States entered World War I on 6 April. On that same day, John Mott, General Secretary of the International Committee of North American YMCAs, informs President Wilson that the YMCA would help provide services for the military forces. Less than a week later, the International Committee appoints the National War Work Council to coordinate this work.
- 1921
- The War Work Council is dissolved
- 1925
- The National Council replaces the International Committee and assumes control over the Army and Navy Department.
- 1941
- The YMCA joins five other national voluntary organizations — the YWCA, the National Catholic Community Service, the Jewish Welfare Board, the Salvation Army, and the National Travelers Aid Association — to create the United Service Organizations for National Defense, or USO.
- 1948
- The Army and Navy Department changes names to become the Armed Services Department of the National Board.
- 1984
- On January 1st, following a two-year organizational review, the YMCA's Armed Services Department is reorganized as the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) of the USA and chartered as a National Member Association of the National Council of YMCAs of the USA.
Extent
61.2 Cubic Feet (68 boxes)
Abstract
Records documenting the administration of the YMCA's work with the United States armed services from the era of the Civil War through the late 1980s, particularly during the period from the time of the first world war through the Korean war.
ORGANIZATION/ARRANGEMENT OF THE RECORDS
These documents are organized into the following sections:
- Histories
- Administrative/Topical Files
- Financial Files
- Personnel
- Committees
- Conferences, Meetings, Assemblies
- Programs
- Girls' Service Organization
- Print Materials
- Local Armed Service Associations
Physical Location
See Detailed Description section for box listing.
OTHER FINDING AIDS
See the summary inventory for the YMCA Armed Services Records for information on other Armed Services records in the Kautz Family YMCA Archives. >> Go to the summary inventory
Note on Language in the Collection and this Guide
Please note that some of the descriptive language found in this collection guide reflects and re-uses the words and ideas of the people and organizations that created the material. Historical records represent the opinions and actions of their creators and the society in which they were produced. This historical language was retained in cases where we believe it provides important context about the materials, is a Library of Congress Subject Heading, or is the official title of an item, organization, or event. As such, please be aware that this material and the guide describing it contains racial and other language and/or imagery that is outdated, offensive and/or harmful.
Processing Information:
Processed by: Chan Harries, 2004. Additional accession of material, primarily from the late 1970s-early 1990s, transferred from the Armed Services YMCA added in October 2017.
Catalog Record ID number: 4339656
- Girls' Service Organization.
- Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Korean War, 1950-1953 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian associations. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- National Board of the Young Men's Christian Associations. Armed Services Dept.
- National Board of the Young Men's Christian Associations. Army and Navy Dept.
- Prisoners of war. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Soldiers -- Recreation Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Spanish-American War, 1898 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian associations. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- United Service Organizations (U.S.)
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Military life. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Religious life. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- United States -- Armed Forces -- Songs and music. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian associations. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- United States. Army -- Service clubs.
- United States. Navy -- Service clubs.
- Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian Associations. Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
- World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian associations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Prisoners and prisons Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1939-1945 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian associations Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Young Men's Christian Associations of North America. International Committee. Army and Navy Dept.
- Young Men's Christian associations -- Administration Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Young Men's Christian associations -- Buildings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- YMCA ARMED SERVICES DEPARTMENT:
- Subtitle
- An Inventory of Its General Administrative Records
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Chan Harries and Lara Friedman~Shedlov.
- Date
- 2004
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Revision Statements
- 2021-12-28: Language was edited slightly to clarify when outdated or harmful terms from original source material are being quoted for historical accuracy. Content warning notes were also added regarding language that was retained and may be found in the collection material.
Collecting Area Details
Contact The Kautz Family YMCA Archives Collecting Area
