The records of the University War Historian contain a wealth of information about the university's war effort during the Second World War. They include correspondence, reports and other material generated by the War Historian's office as well as records of special war related programs and projects at the university and documentation of student activities on campus and of students and alumni who served in the war.
Among the programs which are documented in the University War Historian records are the Japanese Language School; the Civil Affairs Training School (CATS), Navy V-12 Program, Judge Advocates General School (JAGS), and Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP), which prepared their students to administer occupied countries; specialized engineering and public health programs; student groups; and programs promoting veterans' readjustment to civilian life. Also well documented is the work of the University Extension Service which taught courses to defense workers as well as to men and women in the armed services. Material includes contracts with the federal government, reports from various programs, correspondence, and administrative files. The records also detail the work of the University War Board which coordinated university planning for the war effort.
The records are organized into four series: University War Board, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and Miscellaneous Programs and Topical Files. Although the collection is largely unprocessed, the files are accurately labeled and accessible for research.
The first University War Historian, Howard Peckham, was appointed by the Regents in July 1943 to collect and preserve records of "he University's share in the war effort of the country, both through work done upon the Campus and through participation elsewhere by Faculty members, alumni and students." The War Historian was ultimately charged with producing a comprehensive history of the university's contribution to the war effort. This decision was made partly for historical posterity, and in part for practical reasons, once university leaders realized that very little was known about the university war effort during World War I. They felt that their job would have been easier if there were examples of how planning and administration had been carried out during the previous war.
Peckham, who was Curator of Manuscripts at the William L. Clements Library, proved to be an energetic War Historian. He actively sought out the records of program administrators across campus, wrote reports to publicize his efforts (several of which appeared in the Alumni Quarterly Review), and also appealed to alumni and students serving in the armed forces to send him material. When Peckham resigned in January 1945, historian F. Clever Bald continued this work.
