Title: United War Work Fund (Polk County, Wis.) Records
Inclusive Dates: 1918-1919

Creator:

• United War Work Fund (Polk County, Wis.)

Call Number: River Falls Mss CP

Quantity: 0.2 c.f. (1 archives box)

Repository:

Housed at the University Archives and Area Research Center, Chalmer Davee Library, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, ; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-River Falls, Chalmer Davee Library / River Falls Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Correspondence, subscription lists, and papers of Nils J. Larsen, Polk County, Wisconsin, chairman of the United War Work Fund, a drive conducted nationally under U.S. government sanction to raise funds for charitable work among the American Expeditionary Force in France.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-rf00cp

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The United War Work Fund was organized as the result of a call by President Wilson in September, 1918 for a United War Work Council to be set up consisting of representatives of the seven organizations authorized by the War Department to collect funds for charitable work among the A.E.F. in France. The seven organizations were the Young Men's Christian Association, the Young Women's Christian Association, the National Catholic War Council, the Jewish Welfare Board, the War Camp Community Service, the American Library Association, and the Salvation Army. This was the only drive to be made for war purposes out-side of the Red Cross and Liberty Loan Drives. It was held the week of November 11-18, 1918.

A national organization was constituted and located in New York City, and the Drive functioned through the six military departments of the United States, each of which was organized along the same lines as the national organization, and had jurisdiction over the states with-in its area. Dr. John R. Mott served as Director-General of the campaign. An Executive Committee, under the authority of the War Department Commission on Training Camp Activities, consisted of Raymond B. Fosdick; Cleveland H. Dodge; John D. Rockefeller, Jr.; George W. Perkins; Mortimer L. Schiff; John G. Agar; Myron T. Herrick; James J. Phelan; George Gordon Battle; and William Hamlin Child.

While 170 million dollars was the amount requested by the seven organizations, the total collected was 203,199,730 dollars, about 20 percent above the quota asked; 46 states exceeded their quota. There was also response from abroad. China subscribed 1,300,000 dollars; Japan 575,000 dollars; and Cuba 118,000 dollars. The largest individual subscription was that from John D. Rockefeller and his son, 8 million dollars. The amount collected was apportioned pro rata among the seven organizations composing the United War Work Council.

In Wisconsin the War Fund Drive was organized with County Chairmen responsible to a State Executive Committee, and volunteers under the County Chairmen. The Polk County Chairman, Nils J. Larsen, who was also Polk County Treasurer, was responsible for the coordination of fund raising activities in the county and for the collection of fund subscriptions from his corps of volunteers. The outline of the organization, from the county downward, is given in “Plan for County Chairmen Who Will Handle the United War Work Campaign in Wisconsin,” a memo filed under Campaign Materials in folder 4. The subscription rate in Polk County was 150 percent of the announced goal.

The collection consists of general correspondence relating to the Fund Drive; subscription reports from individual collectors, and villages and towns in Polk County; and materials relating to Larson's activities as County Chairman.

The general correspondence (August 10, 1918 - May 7, 1919) contains letters between Larson and his superiors and subordinates in the Fund Drive organization, concerning goals, operations and activities of the Drive. Events and topics discussed are the State Fund Drive Conference at Milwaukee on September 26, 1918; a Chicago conference of 14 states in the organization held on October 26, 1918; and a decision by Fund Director-General John Mott, to attempt a 150 percent subscription rate. The correspondence has been arranged chronologically.

The subscription lists were compiled from individual solicitors' books of receipts, which are in folders two and three, along with the lists. Some of the receipt books in the collection were duplicated by the final lists and these books were discarded. The final lists are arranged in alphabetical order by town or village.

Larson's papers are subdivided to show his different activities as chairman. There are materials from the State Executive Headquarters, lists of subscriptions turned in to Larson, campaign organizational materials, county quotas for Wisconsin, and receipts for campaign supplies.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the State Archives, July 1974. Accession Number: M74-205

Processing Information

Processed by T. Stricker (FGH Intern) and Joanne Hohler, July 9, 1974.

Box   1 Folder   1	Correspondence, August 10, 1918 - May 7, 1919
	Subscription Lists
Box   1 Folder   2	Subscription reports, November 21-30, 1918
Box   1 Folder   3	Subscription booklets, November 11-18, 1918
Box   1 Folder   4	Papers of County Chairman, October - December 9, 1918