Connecticut State Council of Defense records
Scope and Content
The record group contains general records as well as records from the following departments: Executive, Americanization, Child Welfare, Food Supply, Fuel Conservation, Health and Recreation, Historical Records, Military and Naval Committee, Publicity, Soldiers' and Sailors' Information Bureau, Transportation, Fund Raising, Woman's Division, and the New London Auxiliary Committee.
Dates
- 1917-1919
Language of Materials
The records are in English.
Restrictions on Access
These records are stored at an off-site facility and therefore may not be available on a same-day basis.
Because of the physical problems involved, special arrangements must be made for the consultation of the lantern slides, and cuts and plates.
See the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections policy.
Restrictions on Use
See the Reproduction and Publications of State Library Collections policy.
Historical Note
The Council of Defense was Connecticut's agency for coordinating its war activities during World War I. Appointed on 26 April 1917 by Gov. Marcus Holcomb under the authority of the emergency act (Chap. 44, Public Acts of 1917), it initially consisted of eleven members representing industry, labor, the professions and the military, with Richard M. Bissell as Chairman.1 The first meeting was held on 8 May 1917 and the agency was discontinued in March 1919.
At first the Council was organized in a series of appointed committees to deal with the various areas of concern, such as food supply, fuel conservation, transportation, military and naval affairs and publicity. A small secretarial and administrative staff was headed by Thomas Hewes. As the work expanded, a number of the committees acquired their own full-time staffs and became "Departments", and a stronger executive control was established through the creation of an Executive Department headed by Joseph M. Alsop, a member of the Council.
Much of the Council's attention was devoted to coordinating, supporting and publicizing the work of other agencies. Leading officials of many other war agencies served also on Council of Defense committees, and in some cases the Council supplied staff assistance and other help to United States agencies in Connecticut or to other Connecticut agencies in the war effort. The Military Census, which was the first Connecticut war agency (Feb.. 7, 1917), was represented on the Council by its director, and the Committee on Food Supply, which preceded the Council by a couple of weeks, became one of its departments. The Council collaborated closely with the United States Food Administration, the United States Fuel Administration, the United States Employment Service, the Committee on Public Information and, of course, the Council of National Defense. Efforts were made to organize town "war bureaux" to coordinate war work on a local scale; these met with varying success and little record of their work survives. Auxiliary committees on the county level also existed; the files of the New London one are here.
Mention must be made of the important Woman's Division. Organized first as a state committee of the Council of National Defense Woman's Committee, it gradually, by the summer of 1918, assumed the status of a department in the Connecticut Council. As that occurred, some of its earlier programs (Americanization, child welfare, "commercial economy", etc.) were taken over by other units of the Council, but the Woman's Division continued to be represented on those committees and to play an important role in all the agency's work.
Endnotes
- 1The appointment document is in RG 005:022, Governor Marcus H. Holcomb records, 1917-1918, file 107. Other background material is in the same series, files 104, 105, and 137. The official history, prepared by Henry M. Wriston and others, is Report of the Connecticut State Council of Defense, December 1918 (Hartford, 1919) [CSL call number Conn Doc St291re].
Extent
198 cubic feet
Abstract
The Council of Defense coordinated war activities in Connecticut during World War I. Its various committees dealt with the various areas of concern, such as food supply, fuel conservation, transportation, military and naval affairs and publicity.
Arrangement
Series 1. General
Series 2. Executive Department
Series 3. Americanization department
Series 4. Child Welfare Department
Series 5. Food Supply Department
Series 6. Fuel Conservation Committee
Series 7. Health and Recreation Department
Series 8. Historical Records Department
Series 9. Military and Naval Committee
Series 10. Publicity Department
Series 11. Soldiers' and Sailors' Information Bureau
Series 12. Transportation Department
Series 13. Fund-Raising Activities
Series 14. Woman's Division
Series 15. New London county Auxiliary Committee
Series 16. Exhibit Material
Series 17. Miscellaneous
Provenance
When the war ended, the Council of Defense wound up its own activities. The committees were disbanded, most of the staff turned to other work, and the records were turned over to the State Library for preservation. The records became the responsibility of the War Records Department of the State Library, which was the successor to the Historical Records Department (headed by George Godard, the State Librarian) of the Council of Defense.
Separated Material
Exhibit and demonstration material.
The following items were transferred to the Museum of Connecticut History. These items were used to attract public attention and support or to explain and illustrate Council of Defense activities and war programs. It has not always been determined just how and where they were used. Most are damaged and extremely dirty. The following is a list of partial captions or descriptions.
1. The proportions of the problem in the United States - in Connecticut (incomplete). 2 panels, each 48 x 72 in.
2. The solution of the problem. 48 x 72 in.
3. True Americanism. 48 x 72 in.
4. Americanization - What it is, 48 x 782 in.
5. Connecticut is making good Governor's pledge to Pres. Wilson...Are you doing your part?. Wood frame. 48 x 108 in.
6. Dates you should remember...hasten the day of victory. Wood frame. 48 x 108 in.
7. War education and information - The Department of Publicity. Wood frame. 48 x 108 in.
8. Over the top (4th Liberty Loan). 48 x 108 in.
9. Millions for defense (4th Liberty Loan). Wood frame. 48 x 120 in.
10-12. Official U.S. Government war photographs. Three panels, each with mounted 8 x 10 in. glossy prints of military scenes, with typed captions. 2 panels, 48 x 96 in.; 1 panel 48 x 84 in.
13. Where Allied armies are smashing Huns. Wood frame. 48 x 108 in.
14. Where armies of democracy are smashing road to victory. Double panel, hinged. Wood frame. Each panel, 48 x 96 in.
15. Rallies carry war message to many thousands. Wood frame. 48 x 84 in.
16. Patriotic press of Connecticut backs up the republic. 42 x 84 in.
17. These Connecticut newspapers are helping win the war (mounted masthead clippings). Wood frame. 42 x 84 in.
18. Map of markets to which Pocahontas and New River coals are limited...1915. 40 x 60 in.
19. Emergency organization for the City of New Haven. Wood frame. 28 x 44 in.
20. Local agencies of the Connecticut State Council of Defense (map with colored buttons). Wood frame.
21. State Highway Department map with unidentified route markings. 26 x 36 in.
22. New England Fuel administration chart. 15 x 28 in.
23. Tell it to Pershing. 30 x 42 in.
24. New consecration is the duty of the living. 28 x 40 in.
25. Stand fast America! 28 x 40 in.
26. Large banner, approximately 8 x 20 feet, containing a representation of governor Holcomb's cable of support to President Wilson on 3(?) or 5 February 1917 has been destroyed. It appears in the photographs in Series 16, Exhibit Material and color photographs are in the Pictorial Collection (RG 064).
27. State of Connecticut Victory Liberty Loan Honor ROll. 48 x 60 in.
28. Some of the Publications issued by the Dept. of Publicity... Wood frame, glass. 32.5 x 40 in.
29. Make a Will (YMCA poster). 22 x 28 in.
30. Invest Wisely (YMCA poster). 22 x 28 in.
Processing Information
After arrival at the State Library, the records were moved about many times and became almost inextricably mixed with other war-related materials (see Related Material section). While some measure of order has been restored, there are large groups of papers that are still unarranged and are described only in general terms such as "Collected" or "Miscellaneous" materials. Despite the remaining difficulties in using them, however, this record group remains an extraordinarily valuable collection of materials on Connecticut history during the critical period of World War I.
- Americanization Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Bills (legislative records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Broadsides Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Card indexes Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Clippings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Connecticut -- History -- World War, 1914-1918 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Connecticut State Council of Defense -- Records and correspondence Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Correspondence Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Food conservation Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Food supply -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fuel -- Conservation -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Fund raising -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Lantern slides Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Lists Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Metal cuts Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Minutes Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Pamphlets Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Photographs Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Posters Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Press releases Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Printing plates Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Questionnaires Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Reports Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Exhibitions -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Finance -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Food supply -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Fuel supplies -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Transportation -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- United States -- Propaganda Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Women -- Connecticut Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- RG 030, Council of Defense
- Subtitle
- Inventory of Records
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.
- Date
- 2007
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Connecticut State Library Repository
