Women at Work during World War II is a module within ProQuest History Vault and consists of two major sets of records documenting the experience of American women during World War II: Records of the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, and Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps. Records of the Women's Bureau consist of two major series. The first series documents the role of the Women's Bureau as an investigative agency, as a clearinghouse for proposed changes in working conditions, and as a source of public information and education. Items in this first series include reports of the bureau director to the secretary of labor, records of bureau-sponsored conferences, and speeches and articles by women officials of the bureau. The second series of Women's Bureau records consists of a detailed study on the treatment of women by unions in several midwestern industrial centers, complete with extensive background interviews and other research materials; community studies conducted nationwide on the influx of women to industrial centers during the war; and subject files and correspondence on women's work in war industries, including issues like equal pay and child care. The Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps dates from 1942–1946 and documents the women who joined and served in the Women's Army Corps (WAC, known as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps [WAAC] from May 1942 until July 1943) during World War II. Every topic of importance to the WAC is covered in the correspondence, with an emphasis on issues such as recruiting, public support for the WAC, personnel matters like discipline and conduct, and race.
Content Types: books, conference materials, government documents, legislation, periodicals, reports, speeches, surveys and questionnaires, and more.
Subjects: defense industries, labor unions, legislation, women's employment, women in the military, World War II, and more.
Federal Agencies and Organizations: American Red Cross; Army Nurse Corps; Department of War; International Association of Machinists; League of Women Voters; National War Labor Board; United Auto Workers; United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America; Women's Army Corps; Women's Bureau; Young Women's Christian Association; and more.
Keyword Search Examples: Eva L. Olson, Green Valley, League of Women Voters, SPARS, USO, WAVES, Women's Armed Services Integration Act, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Women's Army Corps, Women's Bureau, Young and Rubicam
Records of the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, 1918-1965, Part I: Reports of the Director, Annual Summaries, Major Conferences, Speeches, and Articles is comprised of approximately 23,000 pages, is organized into roughly 1,700 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps."
Records of the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, 1918-1965, Part II: Women in World War II, Series A: Unpublished Studies and War Community Surveys is comprised of approximately 10,000 pages, is organized into 520 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps.
Records of the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, 1918-1965, Part II: Women in World War II, Series B: Subjects and Correspondence Files on War Industries is comprised of approximately 35,000 pages, is organized into 494 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps."
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 1: General and Financial Correspondence is comprised of approximately 19,000 pages, is organized into 105 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of speeches, handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, and telegrams. Part 1 of the Women in the U.S. Military series consists of correspondence related to general military matters and finance. It covers topics such as provision of religion-based activities for WAC personnel, military education and training, recruiting, and budgeting.
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 2: Personnel is comprised of approximately 23,000 pages, is organized into 214 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, circulars, and telegrams.
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 3: Administration and Organization of the Army is comprised of approximately 29,000 pages, is organized into 191 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, circulars, and telegrams. The correspondence in Part 3 is largely focused on personnel needs of the WAC and the military in general, though there are occasional newspaper articles, photographs, and personal correspondence.
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 4: Tactical Units, Geographical Divisions, and Recruitment is comprised of approximately 25,000 pages, is organized into 156 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, circulars, and telegrams. Part 4 focuses on the status of the WAC, including recruiting success and facility inspections. There are also occasional newspaper articles, photographs, and personal letters.
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 5: Education, Mobilization, and Conduct during Wartime is comprised of approximately 14,000 pages, is organized into 117 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, circulars, and telegrams.
Women in the U.S. Military: Correspondence of the Director of the Women's Army Corps, 1942-1946, Part 6: Supplies and Equipment, Transportation, Medical Issues, and Miscellaneous Correspondence is comprised of approximately 16,000 pages, is organized into 140 folders, and represents one of nine collections in the History Vault Module, "Women at Work during World War II: Rosie the Riveter and the Women's Army Corps." The collection was filmed from the records of the War Department and consists of the correspondence of the director of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) during World War II. Oveta Culp Hobby served as WAC director from its inception as the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) in 1942. Westray Battle Boyce succeeded Hobby as director in 1945 and served through the remainder of this collection's coverage in 1946. The correspondence covers a wide range of subject areas and is arranged according to the War Department's decimal filing system. Material within each folder is arranged in a sometimes haphazard way, but appears to be in a rough chronological order (sometimes reverse chronological order). In addition to the predominant correspondence, this series contains copies of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, magazines, journals, pamphlets, circulars, and telegrams.
