World War II Information Collection
Collection
Identifier: Mss-0253
The collection includes publications, brochures, newsletters, news-clippings, posters, maps, ration coupons, and Newsmaps detailing the events of World War II.
The collection dates from 1942-1951. The bulk of the material dates from the U.S. war years of 1942-1945. The subject files date from 1942-1945 with one correspondence file dated 1951. The World War II posters date from 1942-1946. The war-related maps date from 1941-1945. The Newsmaps date from 1942-1948.
The subject files are arranged in alphabetical order by folder title. The news-clippings are arranged in chronological order. The oversized World War II posters, maps, and Newsmaps have detailed separation lists provided.
The subject files contain pamphlets, newsletters, publications, brochures, and articles that document the activities of countries that fell to German occupation. Well-represented among these are Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. Several files contain news-clippings which relate to local interest; namely those of Clemson College, South Carolina, or South Carolina industry. In addition, the subject files contain World War II ration coupons. In order to keep the military sufficiently supplied, the United States requested that their citizens ration certain items such as fuel and rubber. A representative sample of several types of coupons has been preserved. Finally, one correspondence file from William Jennings Bryan Dorn has been included.
The World War II posters contain a wide variety of war-related artwork, including several Walt Disney, Vernon Grant, and Norman Rockwell prints. A supplemental container list for these posters has been provided in the finding aid.
The maps collection contains fact-related war information. Representations include the Pacific War Theater, Europe, and economic-trend maps, among a multitude of additional illustrations.
A large collection of Newsmaps have been preserved as well. These two-sided maps provide summaries of war-related events and theatres of conflict. Each provides informative photographs and illustrations such as insignia, weapons, and vehicles. In addition, the maps depict areas controlled by the various combatant armies throughout the conflict. The Newsmaps also provide post-war advice, such as college, employment, and insurance.
In 2003, the collection was completely processed. Dr. Don McKale, Professor of History at Clemson University was consulted. Dr. McKale judged much of the collection to be information readily available within the known corpus of World War II studies. He did, however, recommend that several parts of the original collection were unique and worth keeping. It was determined that the original War Information Collection would be weeded in order to make it more manageable. Most of the newspaper clippings and miscellaneous publications were donated to Florida State University, where it is housed within their History Department's "World War II & the Human Experience" Research Center. In addition, all Federal Government Agency documents and publications within the collection were removed and added to the holdings of the Public Documents Collection at Clemson University.
The War Information Center was established at Clemson College in April 1942. It was one of two key information centers designated for the state of South Carolina by the Library Service Division of the U.S. Office of Education, the University of South Carolina being the other.
Roughly 140 colleges and universities across the country were chosen to receive a wide range of publications and information in order to keep communities informed of war-related issues. The War Information Center at Clemson College was to serve student and community patrons in the upstate area. The American Library Association and the Civilian Morale Service together with the Library Service Division of the U.S. Office of Education were responsible for coordinating the effort.
The War Information Centers' publications were on display at Clemson College during the war years 1942-1945. Afterwards, the material was added to the Public Documents area of the Clemson College Library. Here the material stayed until the Cooper Library was built in the 1960's. The War Information contents were moved along with Public Documents to the new Library.
In the early 1980's a major reorganization of the Clemson Library was undertaken. The War Information Collection was then transferred to Special Collections. The collection was accessioned at the time that Special Collections moved to the Strom Thurmond Institute Building in 1989.
24 Cubic Feet (24 cubic feet consisting of 93 folders in 6 letter-sized boxes / 84 oversized folders / 10 oversized boxes.)
English
The War Information Center was established at Clemson College in April 1942. It was one of roughly 140 colleges and universities across the United States designated by the Library Service Division of the U.S. Office of Education to receive a wide range of publications and information in order to keep communities informed about the war effort in an age before mass media. The collection contains materials that document the events of World War II and its immediate aftermath.
Received from Clemson University Libraries Public Documents Unit between the years 1982-1983.
The Clemson Library acquired the material during World War II. It was on display during those years and afterwards was available through Public Documents. In the early 1980's the material was moved to Clemson University Special Collections Unit.
Formerly accession numbers 88-139, 89-74, and 94-5.
World War II posters were processed by Susan Hiott in 1994. World War II Information Collection processed by Carl Redd and Deepak Vembar between 2003 and 2004.
The conversion of this finding aid to Encoded Archival Description format was made possible with a grant from the South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board in 2009-2010. The finding aid was prepared for encoding by Kristi Roberts.
Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository