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COLLECTION Identifier: UAI 20.941.10

Records relating to the Air Raid Precautions Organization at Harvard University

Overview

Civil defense at Harvard University during World War II began even before American entrance into the conflict, when the Harvard Corporation created a Committee on Civilian Defense to survey the defense needs of the University, including the protection of the College's treasures and records in October 1941. One of the first steps initiated by the Committee on Civilian Defense was the establishment of an Air Raid Precautions School at Harvard, to teach faculty, students, and staff the basics of air raid defense. Letters, reports, memoranda, attendance forms, armbands, registration cards, circular letters, message forms, and placards in this collection document the efforts of Harvard University to protect University personnel and property during World War II, including the establishment of the Air Raid Precautions School at Harvard University in November 1941 and the civil defense activities of the Air Raid Precautions Organization.

Dates

  • Creation: 1941-1943

Creator

Researcher Access

Open for research.

Extent

5.53 cubic feet (9 card boxes, 5 document boxes, 5 pamphlet binders, 3 accordion folders, 1 volume, 1 multi-ring binder)

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the efforts of the Air Raid Precautions Organization and Harvard University to protect Harvard personnel and property during World War II. All manner of issues related to the development of air raid precautions at Harvard University are found in these records. Letters, reports, memoranda, attendance forms, armbands, registration cards, circular letters, message forms, and placards document the establishment of the Air Raid Precautions School at Harvard University in 1941 and the civil defense activities of the Air Raid Precautions Organization. Among the civil defense activities described in this collection are the appointment of block wardens, air raid practice alerts, evacuation drills of Harvard buildings, blackouts rehearsals, and the introduction of courses of instruction for air raid wardens. This collection also includes booklets and pamphlets describing an air raid warden’s duties and responsibilities, civilian blackout rules, decontamination procedures after a gas attack, firefighting measures, and the provision of health care services during an emergency. The collection contains registration cards and questionnaires for Harvard personnel (faculty, students, and staff) to determine their availability for air defense service and voluntary defense work; enrollment applications to the Harvard Air Raid Precautions School; and such records as organizational charts, a telephone directory, memoranda, and correspondence, illustrating the network of air raid wardens, areas of coverage, and organization of the Air Raid Precautions Organization. Some of the more interesting items in this collection include a text book designed for an elementary course of civilian defense and used at the Harvard University Air Raid Precautions School entitled, Air Raid Precautions and the Warden’s Job and descriptions of an incendiary bomb demonstration in Harvard Yard on October 28, 1942.

Additional Description

Historical note

Civil defense at Harvard University during World War II began even before American entrance into the conflict, when the Harvard Corporation created a Committee on Civilian Defense to survey the defense needs of the University, including the protection of the College's treasures and records in October 1941. One of the first steps initiated by the Committee on Civilian Defense (in conjunction with the Massachusetts Committee of Public Safety, the Cambridge Committee on Public Safety, and the local Air Raid Precautions Organization) was the establishment of an Air Raid Precautions School at Harvard, to teach faculty, students, and staff the basics of air raid defense. The School, under the administration of emeritus Harvard Professor of Mathematics Julian L. Coolidge, provided instruction in medical care and first aid, incendiary bomb control, gas decontamination, firefighting, blackout and evacuation protocol, high explosive bomb disposal, the organization and administration of air raid precautions services, and air raid warden duties and responsibilities. The satisfactory completion of the course fulfilled the federal government’s air warden requirements and allowed graduates to serve as wardens in their own communities as well as at Harvard University. Between November 1941 and October 1942, almost 1,000 members of the Harvard community trained as wardens. During World War II, many of the wardens were assigned duties in Harvard Yard and the surrounding area, with students serving as assistant wardens and floor wardens in dormitories. Harvard buildings with reinforced windows were set aside as shelters and First Aid stations were organized on campus. Evacuation drills and blackout tests were performed regularly. Sand and shovels were made readily available for protection against fires. Accordingly, the organization of civil defense at Harvard University enabled the school to become entirely self-sufficient in the event of an air raid on Cambridge.

Superseded call numbers

To assist researchers in identifying materials noted in previous citations, the list below provides references from obsolete call numbers to new call numbers and box numbers. Please use the current call number, UAI 20.941.10, with the appropriate box number in place of superseded call numbers when citing material from this collection.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.10 Records relating to Air Raid Precautions Organization, 1941
  2. ___See Box 1. Ephemera related to the Air Raid Precautions Organization at Harvard University, 1941-1943.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.11, Records of the Cambridge Air Raid Defense Organization, 1941
  2. ___See Box 2. Records of the Cambridge Air Raid Defense Organization, 1941.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.12 (Box 1), Records of Harvard Air Raid Warden Course, 1941-1942
  2. ___See Box 3. Harvard University Air Raid Warden Course, 1941 November.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.12 (Box 2), Records of Harvard Air Raid Warden Course, 1941-1942
  2. ___See Box 4. Harvard University Air Raid Warden Course, 1942 February.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.13, Outlines and other material from the Air Raid Precautions Course, 1941
  2. ___See Box 5. Outlines and other records from the Harvard Air Raid Precautions Course, 1941.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.14 (Box 1), Records of Air Raid Precautions Organization, 1941-1943
  2. ___See Box 6. Correspondence and other records of Chief Warden of Harvard University Aldrich Durant and other wardens, 1941-1943.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.14 (Box 2), Records of Air Raid Precautions Organization, 1941-1943
  2. ___See Box 7. Correspondence and other records of Chief Warden of Harvard University Aldrich Durant and other wardens, 1941-1943.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.14 (Box 3), Records of Air Raid Precautions Organization, 1941-1943
  2. ___See Box 8. Correspondence and other records of Chief Warden of Harvard University Aldrich Durant and other wardens, 1941-1943.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.14 (Box 4), Records of Air Raid Precautions Organization, 1941-1943
  2. ___See Box 9. Correspondence and other records of Chief Warden of Harvard University Aldrich Durant and other wardens, 1941-1943.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.15 (Box 1), Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 January
  2. ___See Box 10. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, A-C, 1942 January.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.15 (Box 2), Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 January
  2. ___See Box 11. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, D-Hi, 1942 January.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.15 (Box 3), Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 January
  2. ___ See Box 12. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, Ho-M, 1942 January.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.15 (Box 4), Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 January
  2. ___See Box 13. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, N-Si, 1942 January.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.15 (Box 5), Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 January
  2. ___See Box 14. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, Sm-Z, 1942 January.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.17, Civilian defense registration cards, 1942 June
  2. ___See Box 15. Civilian Defense Registration Cards, A-Z, 1942 June.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.19, Records on the organization of Air Raid Precautions Precinct A, Harvard District, 1941
  2. ___See Box 16. Organization of Precinct A, Harvard District, Air Raid Precautions, 1941-1942.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.20, Records on the organization of Air Raid Precautions of Precinct B, Harvard District, 1941
  2. ___See Box 17. Organization of Precinct B, Harvard District, Air Raid Precautions, 1941.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.20.5, Records on the organization of Air Raid Precautions of Precinct C, Harvard District, 1941
  2. ___ See Box 18. Organization of Precinct C, Harvard District, Air Raid Precautions, [1941].
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.21, Telephone director of Air Raid Precautions personnel, 1941
  2. ___See Box 19. ARP [Air Raid Precautions] Telephone Directory, [1941].
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.22, Accounts, bills, and other records relating to the Air Raid Precautions Course, 1941
  2. ___See Box 20. Ledger sheets listing expenses for the Air Raid Precautions School at Harvard University.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.23, Material related to Air Raid Precautions courses, 1941-1942
  2. ___See Box 21. Correspondence of Julian Lowell Coolidge regarding Air Raid Precautions courses, 1941-1942.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.941.25, Material related to Air Raid Precautions, 1941
  2. ___See Box 22. Air Raid Precautions and the Warden’s Job, [1941].
  1. Formerly UAI 20.942, Records of Air Raid Precautions School, 1942 October 28
  2. ___See Box 23. Incendiary bomb demonstration in Harvard Yard, 1942 October 28.
  1. Formerly UAI 20.942.5, Records of Air Raid Precautions School, 1942
  2. ___See Box 24. Qualified wardens, 1942 March 25.

Acquisition information

The documents in this collection are University records and were acquired in the course of University business. Whenever possible the archivist noted the terms of acquisition in the folder list below.

The acquisitions are as follows:
  1. 1948, Donald Scott

Related material

In the Harvard University Archives
  1. Records relating to Air Raid Precautions, 1941-1944 (UAI 20.941.30): includes notebooks and other records of R.H. Haynes, Precinct B warden. [This material was missing at the time this collection was processed in July 2014.]

References

  • “A.R.P. Plans Drill in Building Evacuation: Practice Scheduled Early in Next Term,” The Harvard Crimson, 1942 January 23.
  • “Certificates Given Out in A.R.P. Course: Over 150 Are Full-Fledged Wardens of Cambridge Now,” The Harvard Crimson, 1941 December 17.
  • Harvard University. Records relating to the Air Raid Precautions Organization at Harvard University, 1941-1943. UAI 20.941.10, Harvard University Archives.
  • Harvard University. President's Office. Records of the President of Harvard University, James Bryant Conant, 1933-1955. Civilian Defense: Committee on, 1941-1942. UAI 5.168.XX, Harvard University Archives.
  • “Initial A.R.P. Class Given Last Night: Speakers Describe Setup of Communication System,” The Harvard Crimson, 1942 October 21.
  • “Questionnaires on A.R.P. Work Will Be Distributed to University: PBH Service Committee Made Permanent; New Courses Planned for Air Raid Defense,” The Harvard Crimson, 1942 January 6.
  • “University Gives Third ARP Course: Three-Week Class to Train 250 More Air Raid Wardens,” The Harvard Crimson, 1942 February 12.
  • “University to Present Course on Air Raids: First College in U.S. to Teach Subject,” The Harvard Crimson, 1941 November 6.

Inventory update

This document last updated 2019 March 13.

General note

People
  1. Durant, Aldrich.
  2. Coolidge, Julian Lowell, 1873-1954.
  3. Walton, Clarence Eldon, 1898-

General note

Groups
  1. Harvard University.
  2. Cambridge Air Raid Defense Organization.
  3. Harvard University -- History -- 20th Century.
  4. Harvard University -- History -- World War, 1939-1945.
  5. Harvard University -- Wartime training programs.
  6. Harvard University -- Curricula.
  7. Harvard University -- Telephone directories.
  8. Harvard University -- Air Raid Precautions School.

General note

Topics
  1. Civil defense -- United States.
  2. Incendiary bombs.
  3. World War, 1939-1945 -- United States.
  4. Air raid wardens.

General note

Formats and genres
  1. Pamphlets.
  2. Booklets.
  3. Card files.
  4. Armbands.
  5. Placards (information artifacts)
  6. Correspondence.
  7. Telephone directory.
  8. Textbooks.

Processing Information

This inventory was created in July 2014 by Dominic P. Grandinetti from a cursory inspection of the material and a variety of information sources. Titles were devised by the archivist. The records were re-processed as Records relating to the Air Raid Precautions Organization at Harvard University, 1941-1943 and assigned the call number UAI 20.941.10.

As part of this finding aid, the archivist created a listing of superseded call numbers to help researchers in identifying materials noted in previous citations. The listing (located at the end of this finding aid) provides references from the superseded call number to new box numbers.
Link to catalog

Related Names

Creator

Administrative Information

Title
Harvard University. Records relating to the Air Raid Precautions Organization at Harvard University, 1941-1943 : an inventory
Language of description
und
EAD ID
hua43014

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository

http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ois:HUA

Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.

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