Northwestern University World War II Civil Defense Records, 1940-1944
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No requestable containers
Scope and Contents
Collection contains records related to civilian defense on campus and student contribution to the war effort at Northwestern University during World War II. Collection is almost exclusively papers ranging from 1940 to 1944. The records are arranged in two archival boxes.
Series 1. Northwestern University, 1940-1944, contains records pertaining to Northwestern during wartime. Items of interest include correspondence of the “Committee of Thirteen,” an organization of midwestern university presidents that met in the early 1940s to discuss academic responses to the war.
Series 2. Civilian Defense, 1941-1943, contains papers related to civilian defense in Evanston and at Northwestern.
Series 3. Federal Organizations, 1940-1944, primarily consists of correspondence between Northwestern Vice President Fred D. Fagg and various wartime organizations.
Series 4. U.S. Military, 1940-1942, includes correspondence to Dean Fagg from the Air Corps and the Marine Corps. Items of interest include a poster prepared by the University of Toledo Personnel Department titled “Military Services of Interest to College Men” that lists service branches and requirements for application.
Series 5. External Organizations, 1940-1944, contains correspondence from other universities, non-governmental organizations, and publications about wartime education.
Dates
- 1940-1944
Creator
- Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. This collection is stored off-site and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.
Extent
2 Boxes (2 AB (0.5 LF))
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Collection contains the records of Northwestern University’s civilian defense efforts during World War II, spanning from 1940 to 1944. Papers include correspondence between university officials in and outside of NU, surveys of buildings around campus as shelters, and documentation of a mock air raid drill. As the United Stated entered World War II, universities across the country, including NU, adjusted their operations to account for wartime demands on resources and the labor force. For Northwestern, this included completing a survey of buildings on campus and surrounding fraternity and sorority homes to determine the best location to provide emergency shelter. NU also operated a mock air raid and changed academic requirements to ease burdens on students.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by subject into five series: Northwestern University, Civilian Defense, Federal Organizations, U.S. Military, External Organizations. Items are arranged within files chronologically. Series 2 File 2, Report on Committee on Shelter Zone Selection, maintains its original order as it was found in a folder labeled “Copy for Dean Fagg”.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Removed from Archives Reference Files (acc. #81-214).
- Title
- Guide to the Northwestern University World War II Civil Defense Records, 1940-1944
- Author
- Kaylee Morlan
- Date
- August 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Library Details
Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635
specialcollections@northwestern.edu