Document Group: DG 048

Provenance: Donated by NSBRO, 1952

Size: 3.75 linear feet

Restrictions: None

Microfilm: None

Finding Aid: Checklist revised by Anne Yoder, April 2001

This checklist is the property of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection.

Introduction

The Federal Council of Churches organized its Committee on the Conscientious Objector under its Department of International Justice and Goodwill in 1941 (circa). Bishop Oxnam was Chair of the Committee, and Dr. Walter Van Kirk was Secretary. Members of the Committee were nominated by the member churches of the Federal Council and appointed by the Council's President. The Committee was represented in NSBRO in a consultative capacity from Jan. 17, 1941, to which it gave financial support or organized support from denominations. Grover Hartman, a C.O. who was released from CPS for detached service, came to the office in May 1944 to work with Dr. Van Kirk. His salary was paid from contributions made by the churches represented on the Committee. Hartman had earned an M.A. from American University and had worked as a teacher and a leader in the field of religion. He was working on his PhD. when he was drafted and sent to a CPS camp.

The Committee was interested in all aspects of conscientious objection, especially religious life in CPS camps. Among the Committee's projects was the organizing of a program of visitation to CPS camps.

In 1952, A. Staunton Curry, the Executive Secretary of NSBRO, wrote to the SCPC that he felt that the Committee's files should be deposited in the Peace Collection. The curator visited Dr. Van Kirk's office in Dec. 1952 and selected the records to transfer to the archives. The bulk of the Federal Council of Churches' archives is at the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia (PA) [they have nothing on the Committee on the Conscientious Objector].

The Committee's archival records were re-processed in April 2001 for the purpose of better preservation measures and to arrange the material in a more comprehensible format. At that time, material regarding the Federal Council of Church that did not relate to the Committee was removed. Photos were removed to the Photograph Collection.

See also: National Council of Churches / USA (CDGA) which includes files from its predecessor

organization, the Federal Council of Churches, 1908-1950

---

Contents of Collection

Box 1
General
Relationship with NSBRO (National Service Board for Religious Objectors)
Meeting minutes, 1941 (Jan.) - 1944 (Jan.)
Conference on C.O. matters, New York (NY), Nov. 02, 1944
Conference on the C.O., New York (NY), May 14, ____
Publicity-Information Conference, Washington (DC), Jan. 12, 1944
Correspondence with Committee members, 1941-1947
Financial records & correspondence, 1942-1945
Financial records & correspondence: administration of funds for NSBRO given by denominations

[includes other subjects as well], 1941

Work in office by C.O. Grover Hartman
[note: most of the files from here on were generated by Grover Hartman]
Reports
Writings of Grover Hartman
General correspondence, 1941-1944
Correspondence with Roland Bainton, 1944 (April-May)

Box 2
General
Correspondence with government officials, 1944-1946
General correspondence, 1945-1946
Correspondence etc. re: literature requests
Correspondence etc. re: production of and orders for pamphlet "The Church and Returning Conscientious

Objectors" [file includes copy of pamphlet]

Correspondence Etc. With Denominations/Groups
Misc. denominations/churches
American Baptist Home Mission
American Civil Liberties Union's National Committee on Conscientious Objectors
American Friends Service Committee, 1943-1946
American Friends Service Committee re: CPS
Brethren Service Committee, 1945-1946
Congregational Christian Churches
CPS Union
Disciples of Christ (United Christian Mission Society), 1942-1945
Episcopal Church
Evangelical Church
Evangelical & Reformed Church
Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1943-1946

Box 3
Correspondence Etc. With Denominations/Groups
Mennonite Central Committee, 1945-1946
Methodist Church
NSBRO, 1941-1946
NSBRO: form letters received

Box 4
Correspondence Etc. With Denominations/Groups
Presbyterian Church, 1943-1944
Veterans League of America
War Resisters League
Correspondence Etc. re: C.O. Subjects
Amnesty for COs, 1945-1946
Amnesty for COs: correspondence with denominations/churches
Civilian bonds, 1942
Classification of COs
C.O. cases: Charles E.S. Ridgway, 1943
C.O. cases: Clyde W. Summers, 1945
Dependents of COs
Detached service
Job opportunities for demobilized COs, 1945-1946
Non-combatants, 1944-1945
Parole and/or prison terms for COs, 1943-1946
Selective Service, 1943-1945

Box 5
Correspondence Etc. re: C.O. Subjects
Status of COs, 1946
Voluntary Service Projects
Correspondence Etc. re: CPS
Chaplains and/or religious services in camps, 1943-1944
Form letters & lists re: pastoral visits to camps, 1944-1946
Finding pastors to visit camps, etc.
Set-up or reports of pastoral visits to camps, 1944-1946
Pastors who declined to visit camps
Camps #1-4
Camp #5 (Colorado Springs, CO)
Camps #10-19 [none for #6-9]
Camps #20-26
Camps #27-29

Box 6
Correspondence Etc. re: CPS
Camps #30-39
Camps #40-45
Camp #46 (Big Flats, NY)
Camps #47-48
Camp #49 (Philadelphia, PA)
Camps #50-51
Camp #52 (Powellsville, MD)
Camps #53-59
Camps #60-67
Camp #68 (Norwich, CT)
Camps #69-75
Camp #76 (Glendora, CA)
Camps #77-79
Camp #80 (Lyons, NJ)
Camps #81-84
Camps #85-89
Camps #90-99
Camps #100-103
Camps #104-110
Camp #111 (Mancos, CA)
Camp #111 (Mancos, CA): installing & removing Rev. Christian Kehl as camp chaplain, 1943

Box 7
Correspondence Etc. re: CPS
Camp #111 (Mancos, CA): installing & removing Rev. Christian Kehl as camp chaplain, 1944
Camps #112-114
Camp #115 [human guinea pig experiment units]
Camps #116-119
Camps #120-1927
Camp #128 (Lapine, OR)
Camp #129 (Pennhurst, PA)
Camp #130 (Pownal, ME)
Camp #131 (Cherokee, IA)
Camps #132-134
Camp #135 (Germfask, MI)
Camps #136-140
Correspondence Etc. re: CPS Subjects
Dairy testers & farms
Demobilization of COs at camps, 1944-1946
Detached service, 1942-1944 [hospital service, farm work, etc.]
Evaluations of CPS
Financial support for camps, 1943-1944
Frozen fund

Box 8
Correspondence Etc. re: CPS Subjects
Fundraising & denominational support for camps
Government-run camps
Human guinea pig experiments
Pay & workers comp.
Race relations/policy at camps [includes survey]
Special projects
Strikes at camps
Theological students in CPS camps
Training school conferences
Reference
General
Mailing lists
Statements issued by denominations re: COs and/or CPS

Box 9 (1/2 box)
Reference
Statements issued by denominations re: COs and/or CPS: compilations
Lists re: COs & CPS [camps established; religious affiliation; etc.]
Legislation affecting COs
Court hearings / testimony of COs

Box 10 (1/2 box)
Scrapbook of Grover Hartman, 1943-1945
Subject areas [contains mostly newspaper clippings, except where noted]

Universal Military Training / Peacetime Conscription

- Articles favoring conscription

- General articles in file

- List of pamphlets & articles opposing conscription on file

- Alternatives: universal abolition of conscription; attack on basic problems

- Congressional expressions

- Conscription & democracy

- Contrary to American way

- Step toward total regimentation

- The American Legion favors total manpower mobilization

- Economic arguments

- Effects on world order & peace aims

- Effects on world organization (positive arguments)

- Negative effects on world order & peace aims

- Educational bodies -- opposed

- Expressions of youth groups

- Agricultural organizations -- opposed

- Labor groups -- opposed

- Relation to national defense

- Post-war military establishment

- The moral issue

- Physical effects

- Public opinion polls

- Statements of religious bodies -- opposed

- Statements in behalf of compulsory training

- Statements favoring conscription

- Statements favoring training

- General statements in opposition

- Service men on conscription [includes letter/s]

- Service men & veterans expressions [includes letter/s]

Notes [of Hartman] etc. re: interviews, visits to CPS camps etc., & conferences attended

COs volunteer

Japanese-Americans

Governmental expressions on world organization

Methodist Church

Theological students

Selective Service System on theological students

Foreign service for COs

Draft information

Popular expressions on world organization

ACCLU & NCCO

For severe treatment of Axis powers

Evangelical Church & COs

Legal status of COs

Church of the United Brethren in Christ

Congregational Christian Church

Reformed Church

Catholics & COs

Germany

General observations on COs

British & Canadian COs

Racial tensions

Case of Henry Weber [Socialist CO]

 

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