New York State Education Dept. Division of Archives and History Working Files for a Publication on New York in World War I
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Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
These files include correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, clippings, legislative bills, and photographs concerning the
participation of New York State residents in World War I. Also included are war histories from other states. The files were
collected by State Historian, James Sullivan, in response to a 1919 resolution of the Senate and Assembly authorizing him
to "collect, collate, compile, edit and prepare for publication sufficient materials, statistics and data for a history of
the State of New York in the war.
Creator:
Title:
Working files for a publication on New York in World War I
Quantity:
Quantity:
Inclusive Dates:
1917-1925
Series Number:
A3166
Arrangement
Arranged roughly by subject.
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, notes, reports, clippings, copies of legislative bills, and occasional
photographs concerning the participation of New York State residents in World War I. Also included are copies of war histories
prepared by other states (and apparently used as models for the New York work).
The files were collected by the State Historian, James Sullivan, in response to a joint resolution of the Senate and Assembly
(1919) authorizing him to "collect, collate, compile, edit and prepare for publication sufficient materials, statistics and
data for a history of the State of New York in the World War..." To advance this work, Sullivan requested material from local
defense councils, major manufacturers in the state, libraries and historical societies, and private citizens. He also contacted
state war councils, libraries, historical surveys, and war history commissions nationwide to provide models for the publication
and funding of the work. When the immense scope of the undertaking became clear, he lobbied the legislature for funds. No
funds were appropriated for the work and it was never completed.
The files contain: information on New York's response to the Liberty Loan campaigns, and details on ship production in the
state; service data on New York residents who served in allied armies (especially Canadian and British); list of New York
contractors for aircraft materials, giving name and address of contractor and type of article produced; historical summaries
of U.S. Army divisions' activities during the war; report on the return of New York's war dead from Europe, and lists of Americans
killed in action while serving with Canadian forces; catalogs of American Expeditionary Force official photographs taken by
the U.S. Signal Corps, Photographic Section; copies of other states' reports on participation in the war (including California,
Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Tennessee, and Virginia); copy of the pamphlet "Canada's Part in the Great War" published by the Canadian Department of Public
Information (1919); copies of legislation from other states authorizing war memorials; minutes, correspondence, and reports
of the National Association of State War History Organizations (James Sullivan served as president and member of the Executive
Committee);
extensive news clippings covering the publicity engagements and promotional talks by Sullivan, accounts of the New York dead
and wounded as reported by the War Department, and reports on the unveiling of war memorials; related memoranda, apparently
originating with Sullivan, on cooperating with the Association of State War History Organizations to help with the work, promoting
legislative appropriations to carry out the original joint resolution, coordinating volunteer aid through county publicity
campaigns, and enlisting the support of the Commissioner of Education, John H. Finley; a small amount of memoranda relating
to an aborted War Department plan for a pictorial history of munitions production, and also on work of local councils of defense
to produce community honor rolls; correspondence with major New York manufacturers on providing summaries of their war work;
a small number of photographs, including individual portraits of uniformed soldiers (sometimes with a copy of service record
attached) or scenes in the field; and some photostatic reproductions and a smaller amount of original material produced by
Cuyler Reynolds, Albany City Historian, for his work on "Albany Heroes of the World War".
Alternate Formats Available
Microfilm is available for use at the New York State Archives or through interlibrary loan.
Items Online
High resolution images of selected original documents in this series are available in State Archives Digital Collections.
New York State Archives Digital Collections
Working files for a publication on New York in World War I, 1917-1925
Related Material
A0412Series A0412 World War I Veterans' Service Data and Photographs contains related World War I materials.
Custodial History
Originally accessioned in old collection number 575, accession number 328, box 6, folders 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and box 7, folders
1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9 and envelope 1.
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.
Access Terms
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Detailed Description
Dates |
Contents |
Box |
Accretion: A3166-78 |
|
Report of States' War History Commissions |
1 |
|
Report of States' War History Commissions |
1 |
|
Report of States' War History Commissions |
1 |
|
Report of States' War History Commissions |
1 |
|
State Senate Proceedings; Liberty Loans, World War I materials |
1 |
|
State Senate Proceedings; Liberty Loans, World War I materials |
1 |
|
State Senate Proceedings; Liberty Loans, World War I materials |
1 |
|
State Senate Proceedings; Liberty Loans, World War I materials |
1 |
|
State Senate Proceedings; Liberty Loans, World War I materials |
1 |
circa 1921 |
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
circa 1921 |
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
circa 1921 |
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
|
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
|
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
|
Papers of National and State Association of State War History Organizations |
1 |
|
New York State Men in Foreign Service, World War I |
1 |
|
New York State Men in Foreign Service, World War I |
1 |
|
New York State Men in Foreign Service, World War I |
1 |
|
New York State Men in Foreign Service, World War I |
1 |
1917-1918 |
Brief Histories of U.S. Army Divisions |
2 |
1919 |
List of Contractors for Aircraft Materials in New York State |
2 |
1919 |
Catalogue of Official A.E.F. Photos |
2 |
1919 |
Catalogue of Official A.E.F. Photos |
2 |
|
Return of New York State World War Dead |
2 |
|
"Canada's Part in the Great War" |
2 |
1919 May |
War Library Bulletin |
2 |
1919 |
War Records Collection Form |
2 |
|
Printing Plate of Unreadable List |
2 |
|
Letters re: War Dead of Albany, N.Y. (Cuyler Reynolds) |
2 |
|
Papers and Reports of Pennsylvania War History Commission |
2 |
|
Papers and Reports of Pennsylvania War History Commission |
2 |