Research

• Full Finding Aid
• Overview
• Arrangement
• Scope and Contents
• Alternate Formats
• Access Restrictions
• Processing Information
• Access Terms
• Detailed Description

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New York State War Council Office of Civilian Mobilization Local War Councils' and Field Representatives' City and County Activity Reports

Some content may contain outdated and offensive terminology. See: New York State Archives Statement on Language in Descriptive Resources

Overview of the Records

Arrangement

Alphabetical by city or county.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains correspondence and memoranda sent to the Office of Civilian Mobilization (OCM) by its field representatives or local war councils reporting on activities, personnel changes, and organizational issues. While not requiring these on a regular basis, the OCM used the reports to monitor problems within the local councils, especially those reports filed by the field representatives which are blunter than those sent by the local councils. Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, and Syracuse are well-represented in this series.

The local war councils' reports contain: detailed lists of programs, including the number of volunteers involved; lists of procedures used for civil defense activities; organizational charts; personnel changes; and sample forms and pamphlets for various activities.

The field representatives' reports include observations concerning operational problems, personnel conflicts, and program deficiencies, often with suggested plans of action to rectify them. These reports include logs listing who the representative met with, when, and what was discussed. Topics discussed include projected employment needs, women's role in the local labor market, the need for child care, nursing recruitment, and volunteer recruitment. Initially, many local officers confided to the field representatives that enlisting volunteers for anything but civil defense was problematic.

Alternate Formats Available

Microform is available at the New York State Archives through interlibrary loan.

Processing Information

This series was originally accessioned as box 140 of old collection #77, accession -71.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.

Access Terms

Detailed Description