ContentsContainer List Series I: Administrative Information on World War II Rumor Project Series II: Administrative Information on Local Rumor-control Projects and Correspondence Series III: Rumor Reports Gathered by Correspondents Series IV: Rumors from Correspondents and Field Representatives Series V: Rumors, Jokes, and Anecdotes from High School and College Students |
World War II Rumor Project CollectionAFC 1945/001Prepared by Stephanie A. Hall with the assistance of Linda SudmalisRevised and edited by Nora Yeh1996
Administrative InformationPreferred CitationWorld War II Rumor Project Collection (AFC 1945/001), Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. AccessCollection is open for research; no restrictions on access. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and ContentThe World War II Rumor Project Collection contains manuscript materials compiled by the Office of War Information (OWI). The OWI was established by an Executive order on June 13, 1942, for the purpose of achieving a coordinated governmental war information program. The information program was designed to promote an informed and intelligent understanding of the status and progress of the war effort, war policies, activities, and aims of the United States government. All functions of the Office of Facts and Figures and of the Office of Government Reports, and parts of the functions and related records of two other agencies were transferred to the OWI. For the World War II Rumor Project, field representatives collected information from community-based correspondents and sent duplicate or triplicate copies of reports of the correspondents to Dr. Eugene Horowitz at the Bureau of Public Inquiries of the OWI. The reports listed rumors and anecdotes that were compiled by Dr. Horowitz and William H. Webber arranged in alphabetical order by states and by subjects. This collection has two distinct components. The first component involved field representatives of various federal agencies in the United States instructed to enlist individuals in their communities who were willing to write down rumors and send them to the field representatives. These individuals or "correspondents" included dentists, beauty shop operators, policemen, proprietors, and librarians who had access to rumors in their communities. The second component involved rumors, jokes, rhymes, and anecdotes about the war from high school and college students collected by teachers. Subjects include Adolph Hitler, the Japanese, rationing, and other topics. Includes rhymes and stories composed or recorded by students. Correspondence within the folders indicates that some teachers removed some rumors or jokes in order to "show the best of their pupils." Within the documents, race designations vary. For one school, correspondence indicates that students were not asked to identify their race due to local tensions. However, the papers were taken up in order, and the teacher later added a designation as to the race of the student. The designations for African-American students appear as "Negro," "N," "Colored," "Col," or "C." Designations for white students appear as "White" or "W." Drawings by high school students and a few World War II cartoons appear in the following folders:
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Return to the Table of Contents Arrangement of the RecordsThis collection is arranged in five series:
Return to the Table of Contents Container ListSeries I: Administrative Information on World War II Rumor ProjectRumor Control Project Documents - various editionsAdministrative Information and Correspondence, January-March, 1942Administrative Information and Correspondence, April-June, 1942Administrative Information and Correspondence, July-August, 1942Administrative Information and Correspondence, September-December, 1942Diagrams of Rumor and Rumor ControlGraphics and ArticlesRadio Broadcast "War Information and Military Security"Series II: Administrative Information on Local Rumor-control Projects and CorrespondenceMemoranda on Rumors and Rumor Control Groups: Various DraftsMemoranda on Rumors and Rumor Control Groups: Various DraftsMemoranda on Rumors and Rumor Control Groups: Dr. Horowitz's FileCorrespondents and Rumor AnalysisRumor Analysis on Several Topics, including compilations of rumors receivedLocal Rumor Control Projects: Rumor CollectorsLocal Rumor Control Projects: Correspondence and Internal DocumentsLocal Rumor Control Projects: Introduction Letter and QuestionnaireSeries III: Rumor Reports Gathered by CorrespondentsLocal Rumor Control Projects: AlabamaLocal Rumor Control Projects: ArizonaLocal Rumor Control Projects: ArkansasLocal Rumor Control Projects: CaliforniaLocal Rumor Control Projects: ColoradoLocal Rumor Control Projects: ConnecticutLocal Rumor Control Projects: FloridaLocal Rumor Control Projects: GeorgiaLocal Rumor Control Projects: IdahoLocal Rumor Control Projects: IllinoisLocal Rumor Control Projects: IndianaLocal Rumor Control Projects: IowaLocal Rumor Control Projects: KansasLocal Rumor Control Projects: KentuckyLocal Rumor Control Projects: LouisianaLocal Rumor Control Projects: MaineLocal Rumor Control Projects: MassachusettsMassachusetts Committee on Public Safety: Documents and CorrespondenceLocal Rumor Control Projects: MichiganLocal Rumor Control Projects: MinnesotaLocal Rumor Control Projects: MissouriLocal Rumor Control Projects: MontanaLocal Rumor Control Projects: NebraskaLocal Rumor Control Projects: New JerseyLocal Rumor Control Projects: New MexicoLocal Rumor Control Projects: New YorkLocal Rumor Control Projects: North CarolinaLocal Rumor Control Projects: North DakotaLocal Rumor Control Projects: OhioLocal Rumor Control Projects: OklahomaLocal Rumor Control Projects: OregonLocal Rumor Control Projects: PennsylvaniaLocal Rumor Control Projects: Rhode IslandLocal Rumor Control Projects: South CarolinaLocal Rumor Control Projects: TennesseeLocal Rumor Control Projects: TexasLocal Rumor Control Projects: UtahLocal Rumor Control Projects: VirginiaLocal Rumor Control Projects: Washington (State)Local Rumor Control Projects: Washington D. C.Local Rumor Control Projects: West VirginiaLocal Rumor Control Projects: WisconsinLocal Rumor Control Projects: WyomingSeries IV: Rumors from Correspondents and Field RepresentativesAnti-BritishArmed Forces: HealthArmy-Navy CommissionsArmy-Navy TrainingCivilian DefenseCivilian Front: Criticism of GovernmentCivilian Front: Security and Treatment of Enemy AliensCriticism of U.S. GovernmentDefense WorkersDefense Workers: PayDiscards as non-rumorEconomic Front: War Bonds and StampsFarmersGovernment Information: Policy and PracticeInflationLabor Relations and Union ActivitiesMilitary: High commandsMilitary: Movement of troopsMilitary: Woman AuxiliariesMilitary Losses: Human CombatantsMilitary Losses: PrisonersMilitary Losses: WarshipsMilitary OfficersMilitary Organization: GeneralMilitary Recruitment (Military Selective Service)Military Strategy: American FrontMilitary Strategy: Far East FrontMilitary Strategy: Russian FrontMilitary Strategy: Second FrontMilitary StrengthMilitary Strength of the United States: PerceptionsMilitary TacticsMiscellaneous (Permalife copies)Miscellaneous (Original copies)MoralsOperations, Actual and Potential: In United States and along United States CoastOperations: AleutiansOperations: Russian FrontPost World-WarPredictions of DurationRationing: Miscellaneous (Permalife copies)Rationing: Miscellaneous (Original copies)Rationing: Rubber and tire rationingRationing: SugarRussia's Arms and War Effort (1) Favorable and neutral and (2) UnfavorableSocial problems: GeneralSocial problems: Poverty and UnemploymentSocial Problems: Race discriminationSocial Problems: Race discrimination, other: Japanese, GermanStrategy: GeneralWar arms: General and MiscellaneousWar causesWar Production ManagementSeries V: Rumors, Jokes, and Anecdotes from High School and College StudentsInstruction sheet for High School and College InstructorsAlabama. Parker High School, BirminghamAlabama. Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee. (Permalife copies)Alabama. Tuskegee Institute, Tuskegee. (Original copies)Illinois. Du Sable High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoIllinois. Englewood High School, ChicagoNorth Carolina. Washington High School, RaleighOhio. East High School, ColumbusOhio. East High School, ColumbusOhio. Dennison College, GranvilleOhio. Wilberforce University, Wilberforce (Permalife copies)Ohio. Wilberforce University, Wilberforce (Original copies)Washington, D.C. Howard UniversityWest Virginia. Bluefield State Teachers College, BluefieldWest Virginia. West Virginia State College, InstituteUnknown High SchoolUnknown High SchoolUnknown High SchoolUnknown SchoolUnknown SchoolReturn to the Table of Contents |
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