Research

New York State War Council Office of Civilian Mobilization Field Directors' Local War Council Master Reports


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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:
This series contains 11-page report forms completed by field directors (also called field representatives) for each local war council detailing their personnel, organization, and operations. Filed only once, these forms were used by the Office of Civilian Mobilization (OCM) to examine local councils to ensure they operated as well as possible and according to the State War Council's standards. Each form lists the local war council's address, territory, and population, and provides detailed information on the council and the OCM divisions operating in the council.
Creator:
Title:
Field directors' local war council master reports
Quantity:

0.6 cubic feet

Inclusive Dates:
1942-1944
Series Number:
A4331

Arrangement

Alphabetical by county or municipality.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains 11-page report forms completed by field directors (also called field representatives) for each local war council detailing their personnel, organization, and operations. Filed only once (most in 1943), these forms were used by the Office of Civilian Mobilization (OCM) to examine local councils to ensure they operated as well as possible and according to the State War Council's standards.

Each form lists the local war council's address, territory, and population, as well as providing detailed information on the council and the OCM divisions operating in the council. Addresses for the Volunteer Office, the Division of Civilian War Services, and the Office of Civilian Protection are also listed. If there were any sub-units of the local war council, the name, territory covered, and organizations comprising it were also listed.

A roster lists the chair of the local war council; Civilian War Services director; Labor, Industry, and Agriculture chair; Volunteer Office chair and director; War Training chair; and War Information chair. For each of these positions, the roster provides: name; address; occupation and "noteworthy status"; appointive or elective offices held; other war council positions held; and if paid for war council work.

This same information is also listed for persons serving on the Civilian War Services executive committee and those working on the Block Plan program (though no address is listed for Civilian War Services personnel.) The Civilian War Services executive committee included persons responsible for: child care; citizen unity; consumer problems; education; family security; health preparedness; housing surveys; nutrition; physical fitness; recreation; salvage; social protection (which worked to prevent venereal disease and prostitution); war savings bond sales; and youth programs.

Several pages of the report form are devoted to reporting the characteristics of the local war councils, specifically the Volunteer Office, the Block Plan, and the Division of Civilian War Services. Issues addressed include: organization; finances; program status; competence of officers; cooperativeness with other agencies and the State War Council; training effectiveness; frequency of meetings; public confidence; public relations; and office space.

Alternate Formats Available

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

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Folder list is available at the repository.

Processing Information

This series was originally accessioned as box 158 of old collection #77, accession -71.

Access Restrictions

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

Access Terms

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