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Veterans of Future Wars Collection, 1936-1947 (bulk 1936-1937): Finding Aid

AC010

Patriotism Prepaid by Lewis J. Gorin, Jr. (1938), who headed the National Council of the VFW in Princeton.

Published in 2001

©2006 Princeton University Library

Summary Information

Creator:

Princeton University. Veterans of Future Wars.

Title and dates:

Veterans of Future Wars Collection, 1936-1947 (bulk 1936-1937)

Abstract:

The Veterans of Future Wars Collection, consists of materials dating from the organization's parodical foundation as a Princeton-based student movement in 1936 through its eventual petering-out in 1937. The materials beyond the organization's cessation of activities deal with the Veterans of Future Wars' short but emphatic existence. The collection consists primarily of correspondence of the National Council members (all Princeton University undergraduates), the organization's nation-wide Posts, and its various auxiliary support groups. Also included are speeches and debates, press releases, poems, plays and songs written for the organization, photographs of both official and personal nature, and newspaper clippings.

Size:

3.6 linear feet. This includes one oversize and one photograph box.

Call number:

AC010

Location:

Princeton University Library. Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library.
Princeton University Archives.
Princeton, New Jersey 08540 USA

Language(s) of material:

English.

Storage note:

This collection is stored onsite at the Mudd Manuscript Library.

History of the Veterans of Future Wars

The Veterans of Future Wars was a non-profit organization founded by a coterie of Princeton University undergraduates in March 1936. The organization's rostrum parodied the concurrent Harrison Bonus Bill, which allowed the veterans of World War I to collect their war-bonuses in 1936 rather than in 1940. Modelling their demands after these “bonus hunting” veterans, the Veterans of Future Wars maintained that given the “inevitability of war”, future soldiers should be given their bonuses, $1,000 in cash, before the war, so that they could benefit while still alive. An auxiliary women's group formed, first called Future Gold Star Mothers and then renamed to the Home Fire Division, which made a similarly burlesque demand that the government send all future wives and mothers to Europe, so that they might view the future grave sites of their future husbands and sons.

The Veterans of Future Wars consisted of a National Council, based in Princeton and manned by its founders, and a network of nationwide collegiate posts. The National Council was led by Lewis Gorin Jr. '36, National Commander, with Jack Turner '36 as Secretary, Thomas Riggs Jr. '37 as Treasurer, and Robert Barnes '37 for Public Relations. The Veterans of Future Wars resumed after summer recess in September 1936, with Thomas Riggs Jr. '37 as acting Commander. This role, however, was shared with Robert Barnes '37 throughout the next year until its retirement in the spring of 1937.

Although conceived and perceived as national hoax, the Veterans of Future Wars became the country's forum of anti-war sentiment among students. The organization, aside from its women's and “Friends” auxiliaries, had a network of national Posts in the hundreds. Some Posts maintained a burlesque character, while others seriously followed an anti-war platform. Whether in earnest or in jest, the seriousness of the times came into articulation. It is interesting to note that most of the organization's charter members served in the American forces during World War II.

The Veterans of Future Wars attempted to achieve its goals by lobbying in Washington, D.C., which was undertaken by Thomas Riggs Jr. '37. Correspondence was also maintained with influential men in politics and economics. Lewis Gorin Jr. '36 wrote a book, also presented as his senior thesis, Patriotism Prepaid, which outlined the organization and its program. The Veterans of Future Wars was also documented Time magazine's film series entitled “March of Time” (Vol. II, No. 4). They also organized a Treasury Raid on the day the WWI-veterans were to collect their bonuses, and invited the Presidential couple, along with other celebrities. The engagement of the Veterans of Future Wars reckoned the organization's renown.

The Veterans of Future Wars experienced a revival in the fall of 1950, which maintained the platform of pre-paid bonuses to men of draft age. They even upheld the old organization's salute of the “outstretched itchy palm”. This attempt by David Colwell '51, William Lee III '51, and Malcolm Cleland '52, failed, however, suffering from the “stale joke syndrome”. This disease is highly contagious and heart wrenchingly chronic, so don't try this at home unless under proper supervision of Official Joke-Meisters Barney and Edgar. This is the end of the page and of my histo-gloss.

Description

Consists of records of the Veterans of Future Wars, founded by Princeton University undergraduates Lewis Gorin (Class of 1936), Jack Turner (Class of 1936), Thomas Riggs (Class of 1937), and Robert Barnes (Class of 1937). The collections consists primarily of correspondence of the National Council members (the founding Princeton students), the organization's nation-wide posts, and its various auxiliary support groups. Also included are speeches and debates, press releases, poems, plays, and songs written for the organization, photographs of both official and personal nature, and newspaper clippings.

Arrangement

The Veterans of Future Wars collection is divided into five series with relevant subseries as follows:

• Series 1: Administrative Files, (1936-1937)
• Subseries 1A: Organizational
• Subseries 1B: Financial, 1936
• Subseries 1C: Lobbying Activities, 1936
• Subseries 1D: National Council, 1936-1937
• Subseries 1E: Regional Files
• Subseries 1F: Auxiliary organizations
• Subseries 1G: Correspondence
• Series 2: Creative works
• Series 3: Printed material
• Series 4: Scrapbook
• Series 5: Photographs
• Series 6: Oversize Materials

Access and Use

Access

Collection is open for research use.

Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the University Archivist. Copyright is held by the Trustees of Princeton University.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

The collection's material concerning the administration of the Veterans of Future Wars is of uncertain provenance. The Princeton University Subject File, Student Activities, holding primarily printed material was integrated into the collection, as well as the scrapbook of U.J.P. Rushton '36. Related Princeton University Library collections include the Scrapbook of Thomas Riggs Jr. '37. Also pertinent to this collection is a lecture given by Professor Richard D. Challener of the Princeton University History Department on the Veterans of Future Wars, which is reprinted in the Princeton Alumni Weekly.

Processing and Other Information

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Marta Hanewald in April 1992. Finding aid written by Marta Hanewald in April 1992.

Descriptive Rules Used

Finding aid content adheres to that prescribed by Describing Archives: A Content Standard.

Encoding

Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Techbooks and Cristela García-Spitz on November 03, 2006.

Finding aid written in English.

Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Veterans of Future Wars Collection, Box and Folder Number; University Archives, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Subject Headings

These materials have been indexed in the Princeton University Library online catalog using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.

• Princeton University. Class of 1936.
• Princeton University. Class of 1937.
• Princeton University -- Societies, etc.
• Princeton University -- Students -- 20th century.
• Bounties, Military -- United States -- 20th century.
• College students -- New Jersey -- Princeton -- Political activity -- 20th century.
• Student movements -- United States -- 20th century.
• Students and war -- United States -- 20th century.
• Veterans -- United States -- 20th century.
• Correspondence.
• Photographs.
• Press releases.
• Songs.
• Speeches.

Browse other finding aids related to the following terms:

• Princeton University

Contents List

1. Series 1: Administrative Files, (1936-1937)

2. Subseries 1A: Organizational Subseries Description Subseries 1A: Organizational includes the founding papers of the Veterans of Future Wars: its by-laws, manifesto and charter, as well as a waiver signed by the organization's Board of Trustees. Also included is a list of the founders and personal data, put together in 1944. This list includes the founders, activities after Princeton graduation.

3. By-laws, 1936

   Box 1

4. List of founders and trustees, 1936/1944

   Box 1

5. Subseries 1B: Financial, 1936 Subseries Description Subseries 1B: Financial consists of a single small black notebook, containing entries dating April 22-29, 1936. Entries include records of expenses and one entry of dues received. There are otherwise no official records of bank or business transactions. Incoming dues from the national posts appear on the membership lists of the regional report sheets.

6. Notebook, April 22-29, 1936

   Box 1

7. Subseries 1C: Lobbying Activities, 1936 Subseries Description Subseries 1C: Lobbying Activities contains correspondence, arranged chronologically between Thomas Riggs Jr. '37 and Representative Maury Maverick from Texas and Representative Herman Kopplemann from Connecticut. Aside from congressional speeches written by Representative Maverick, the folder also holds an act and a bill submitted to Congress by the veterans of Future Wars.

8. Lobbying Activities, 1936

   Box 1

9. Subseries 1D: National Council, 1936-1937 Subseries Description Subseries 1D: National Council contains folders which document the activities of the National Council members and regional commanders. Material in these folders include correspondence, speeches, and interorganizational bulletins. The files are arranged alphabetically, with all correspondence within arranged chronologically. Little distinction was made between the assigned position and the actual tasks performed which explains the meshing of responsibilities apparent in the individual files of the Council members. This is especially true in regards to Turner, Riggs and Barnes. The files on National Commander Gorin contain papers pertinent to the production, publication and reception of his book on the Veterans of Future Wars, Patriotism Prepaid, his correspondence with Donald Hobart, Commander of the American Veterans Association, correspondence with persons interested in supporting the Veterans of Future Wars, public addresses and appearances, and personal correspondence. The other files are not as extensive and are listed alphabetically according to specific events or tasks and as general correspondence. Each regional commander has one folder containing general correspondence with their posts and in some cases personal correspondence.

10. National Commander Gorin, 1936

    Box 1

11. Correspondence

    Box 1

12. Donald Hobart

    Box 1

13. National Economy League

    Box 1

14. Patriotism Prepaid

    Box 1

15. Responses

    Box 1

16. Lippincott Publishing

    Box 1

17. Public Addresses

    Box 1

18. Personal

    Box 1

19. National Secretary Turner, 1936

    Box 1

20. Buttons, Uniforms, etc.

    Box 1

21. Correspondence

    Box 1

22. Treasury Raid

    Box 1

23. National-Treasurer Riggs, 1936

    Box 1

24. Correspondence

    Box 1

25. Report on D.C. Posts

    Box 1

26. Public Relations Barnes

    Box 2

27. Convention Plans, 1936

    Box 2

28. Correspondence, 1936-1937

    Box 2

29. Press Releases, 1936

    Box 2

30. Regional Commanders, 1936

    Box 2

31. William Breese-South West

    Box 2

32. John Paul Jones-Great Lakes

    Box 2

33. Penn Kimball II-New England

    Box 2

34. Archibald Lewis-Far West

    Box 2

35. U.J.P. Rushton-Southern

    Box 2

36. Richard waters-Middle Atlantic

    Box 2

37. Speeches, 1936

    Box 2

38. Bulletins to Regional Posts, 1936

    Box 2

39. Subseries 1E: Regional Files, 1936 Subseries Description Subseries 1E: Regional Files begins with a list of the men's and women's divisions and corresponding post commanders, as well as a list of colleges and universities involved in the movement. Posts were handled by region, each of the eight regions was supervised by a regional commander from the National Council. The bulk of the subseries consists of Report Sheets and Correspondence. Report Sheets contain lists of members and the amount of dues collected, which were then submitted by the individual post commanders. Report Sheets are grouped according to region, and are arranged within the folders alphabetically by post. Correspondence is grouped by region and state alphabetically. Within each state file, the correspondence is arranged in chronological order. The correspondence between post commander and regional commander includes administrative and organizational queries, requests for materials and informal updates on post activities. Correspondence from Alaska, Canada, Spain and Czechoslovakia is also included in the regional file listed as Territories. Also included in this file is material related to the Home Fire Division. From the Regional Files one can secure the names of -the colleges and women involved in the organization.

40. List of Posts, 1936

    Box 2

41. Report Sheets, 1936

    Box 2

42. Far West

    Box 2

43. Great Lakes

    Box 2

44. Middle Atlantic

    Box 2

45. Middle West

    Box 2

46. New England

    Box 2

47. Rocky Mountain

    Box 2

48. Southern

    Box 2

49. South Atlantic

    Box 2

50. Correspondence, 1936

    Box 3

51. Far West

    Box 3

52. California

    Box 3

53. Oregon

    Box 3

54. Washington

    Box 3

55. Great Lakes

    Box 3

56. Illinois

    Box 3

57. Indiana

    Box 3

58. Michigan

    Box 3

59. Ohio

    Box 3

60. Wisconsin

    Box 3

61. Middle Atlantic

    Box 3

62. New Jersey

    Box 3

63. New York

    Box 4

64. Middle West

    Box 4

65. Iowa

    Box 4

66. Kansas

    Box 4

67. Minnesota

    Box 4

68. Missouri

    Box 4

69. Nebraska

    Box 4

70. North Dakota

    Box 4

71. South Dakota

    Box 4

72. New England

    Box 4

73. Connecticut

    Box 4

74. Massachusetts

    Box 5

75. Maine

    Box 5

76. New Hampshire

    Box 5

77. Rhode Island

    Box 5

78. Vermont

    Box 5

79. Rocky Mountain

    Box 5

80. Colorado

    Box 5

81. Idaho

    Box 5

82. Montana

    Box 5

83. Utah

    Box 5

84. Wyoming

    Box 5

85. Southern

    Box 5

86. Alabama

    Box 5

87. Florida

    Box 5

88. Georgia

    Box 5

89. Kentucky

    Box 5

90. Louisiana

    Box 5

91. Mississippi

    Box 5

92. North Carolina

    Box 5

93. South Carolina

    Box 5

94. Tennessee

    Box 5

95. South Atlantic

    Box 5

96. Delaware

    Box 5

97. District of Columbia

    Box 5

98. Maryland

    Box 5

99. Pennsylvania

    Box 6

100. Virginia

     Box 6

101. West Virginia

     Box 6

102. South West

     Box 6

103. Arizona

     Box 6

104. Arkansas

     Box 6

105. New Mexico

     Box 6

106. Oklahoma

     Box 6

107. Texas

     Box 6

108. Territories

     Box 6

109. Subseries 1F: Auxiliary organizations Subseries Description Subseries 1F: Auxiliary organizations contain material on the Friends of the Veterans of Future Wars and the Home Fire Division. The material consists of correspondence of the Friends, organizer Beatrice Winser with the National Council and the letters of auxiliary members. Included in this subseries is correspondence relating to the renaming of Future Gold Star Mothers to Home Fire Division, which centered around the women's organization at Vassar College. For the researcher interested in the Home Fire Division, there is very little information in this collection pertaining to their infrastructure and leadership, besides the material in this subseries and in the Regional Files.

110. Friends of the Veterans of Future Wars, 1936

     Box 6

111. President Beatrice Winser

     Box 6

112. Correspondence

     Box 6

113. Member

     Box 6

114. Gold Star Mothers/Home Fire Division, 1936

     Box 6

115. Subseries 1G: Correspondence, 1936 Subseries Description Subseries 1G: Correspondence contains letters of congratulation, letters of monetary contribution and crank letters, which are separated alphabetically by type and within each folder chronologically.

116. Congratulatory

     Box 6

117. Contributions

     Box 6

118. Crank

     Box 6

119. Series 2: Creative works, 1936 Series Description Series 2: Creative works contains poetry, skits, songs and stories composed and submitted by National Council members, regional post members and admirers. These were to be used in rallies, parades and other veterans of Future Wars functions.

120. Poetry

     Box 6

121. Short Stories

     Box 6

122. Skits

     Box 6

123. Songs

     Box 6

124. Series 3: Printed Material, 1936-1948 Series Description Series 3: Printed material contains newspaper clippings and magazine articles about the Veterans of Future Wars, arranged in chronological order. Most of the material postdating the organization's cessation of activities was integrated into the collection from the Princeton University Subject Files, Student Activities.

125. Newspaper Clippings and Magazine Articles

     Box 6

126. Series 4: Scrapbook, 1936-1947 Series Description Series 4: Scrapbook was created by Urban Joseph Peters Rushton '36, Southern Regional Commander, to record the activities of the Veterans of Future Wars. materials include clippings (1936-1947), membership cards and Organizational materials used by the Veterans of Future Wars.

127. Scrapbook, 1936-1947

     Box 6

128. Series 5: Photographs, 1936 Series Description Series 5: Photographs contains original black and white prints of National Headquarters in Princeton, post activities in California and casual shots of National Council members. Also included are negatives which were used for reproduction in works included in the series: Printed materials.

129. Photographs

     Box 7

130. Series 6: Oversize Materials, 1936 Series Description Series 6: Oversize Materials contains one newspaper article and music scores.

131. Oversize Material

     Box 8

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Permanent URL: http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/3x816m61d

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