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• Full Finding Aid
• Overview
• Arrangement
• Administrative History
• Scope and Contents
• Related Material
• Related Publications
• Access Restrictions
• Processing Information
• Access Terms
• Detailed Description

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New York State Military Training Commission Bureau of Vocational Training Statistical Reports, Background Material, and Industry Profiles

Some content may contain outdated and offensive terminology.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

Overview of the Records

Arrangement

Statistical data: Alphabetical by city.

Tabulations: Arranged by zone, then alphabetical by city.

Administrative History

In 1918 and 1919, the Bureau of Vocational Training of the Military Training Commission undertook a survey of all employed males in New York State aged 16, 17, and 18 using data gathered during enrollment with the Military Training Commission. The data was gathered on forms which were completed in every school in the state. The forms were sent to Albany where the data was transferred to Hollerith cards that were used to analyze the data using multiple correlations. The results of the survey were published as Our Boys: A Study of the 245,000 Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen Year Old Employed Boys of the State of New York by Howard G. Burdge, who was supervising officer of vocational training for the commission.

Scope and Content Note

The series contains statistical information and tabulations of the data gathered during enrollment with the Military Training Commission, as well as information on employment of farm boys and results of a survey of industries from around the state which employed boys.

Regarding the statistical information, each location covered has data on numbers of boys enrolled, their ages, whether born in America, whether parents are foreign born, number of children in family, age of boy leaving school, data on boys' employment, and other data. In the smaller locations the complete data are presented. In larger towns and cities a sample was selected to be analyzed. Some locations have multiple copies of the same reports and others have separate reports for high school boys and for elementary boys. New York City is not included in the reports. The series also contains blank correlation forms belonging to Howard G. Burdge.

Folders labeled "Tabulations" include various rough calculations for preparing the statistical information found in previous boxes. Some of the folders contain carbon copies of the completed statistical information. The original folders were marked "complete" or "partial," but there seems to be little difference in the contents; both types contain a combination of notes and completed surveys.

There is also a small amount of general material relative to the survey, including a statement of "General Uses for Employed Boys Questionnaire Data," and tables for some Hudson Valley Zone locations showing numbers of illegal school dropouts (i.e., those under 16 who had not completed 8th grade).

Employed farm boys were also studied through the information gathered via the enrollment. It was felt that this population had little contact with organized discipline and an in-depth study was needed. Livingston County was selected for this detailed vocational training survey of farm boys. Every boy between the ages of 16 and 18 working on a farm was interviewed and data was gathered on his family, education, and vocational plans. Several folders in the series contain tables of data collected from the employed farm boys similar to those published for the employed boys in Burdge's book, apparently in preparation for a companion volume. The Report on Employed Farm Boys contains the narrative to supplement these tables. There is a summary, data tables and rough tabulations of data, as well as a map of New York State showing the distribution of foreign born employed farm boys.

The Vocational Training Bureau also gathered information on various industries and on specific companies which employed boys. The information appears to have been gathered for the dual purposes of determining vocational exemptions and to provide vocational guidance. Investigators traveled to towns throughout the state for the survey. Information gathered on companies includes job descriptions and the number of employees for each job title by age and by sex. Most surviving reports are from the Hudson Valley Zone. Companies profiled include the Aluminum Company of America in Massena, the Newburgh shipyards, and New York Central Railroad. A detailed description of the printing trade is found in the Albany materials.

Related Material

A4436 Administrative Records and Manuals Relating to Military Training Enrollments and the Farm Cadet Corps, contains additional information on enrollments in all zones

A0401 Administrative Reports, Correspondence, and Orders, contains records of the Bureau of Military Training including reports by supervisors and trainers, and detailed reports of cadet activities

Related Publications

Howard G. Burdge's Our Boys: A Study of the 245,000 Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen Year Old Employed Boys of the State of New York, published by the commission in 1921, contains the published survey results, compiled statistics, and information on the making of the survey and its sampling methods.

Processing Information

This is one of three series formed from extant records of the Military Training Commission accessioned from the New York State Library in 1978 (old collection #401, accession -293). The records were arranged and processed by Archives staff in June 1994.

Access Restrictions

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

Access Terms

Detailed Description