The Committee on Militarism in Education (CME) was established in 1925 by John Nevin Sayre, Norman Thomas and E. Raymond Wilson to combat military training requirements at public schools and universities. The CME fought to remove military training, in the form of Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), from highschools and to eliminate compulsory ROTC service at state universities. Throughout its fifteen year existence, the CME endeavored to oppose militarism in all institutions dealing with youth, including such New Deal agencies as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Instead of military drill, the CME proposed the substitution of physical education courses and the institution of courses in world citizenship. The CME worked from its New York City headquarters in cooperation with local groups to educate the public about ROTC practices and attitudes. To this end, the CME kept detailed information files on the ROTC, offered speakers, and circulated pamphlets. Through political channels, the CME supported appropriate state and federal legislation. It also assisted students opposed to military training in gaining legal exemption through judicial processes.

Over the course of its existence, the CME had two Executive Committee chairmen: John Nevin Sayre and George A. Coe, who succeeded Sayre in the late 1920's; and it had four executive secretaries: E. Raymond Wilson, succeeded in 1926 by Roswell P. Barnes, who resigned in 1928, Tucker P. Smith, and five years later, Edwin C. Johnson. Both E. Raymond Wilson and John Nevin Sayre continued their affiliation with CME after leaving its key executive posts, Sayre remaining on the executive committee until CME disbanded itself in 1940 due to the prowar sentiment then pervading public opinion.

The CME sent its files (39 drawers, 10,000 papers) to SCPC in December 1940 (Acc.No. 40-146). The last secretary of CME made nine copies of a detailed finding list; two of these were sent to SCPC and the others to the board members.

In September 1950, a complete examination of CME files and final sorting resulted in the elimination of duplicate, surplus and irrelevant material, and a condensation of important CME organization files, for which a new finding list was made. At this point, CME material was filed in 27 drawers. In March 1967, the CME files were transferred to 113 document boxes, and in June 1968, a checklist was made for materials as they were arranged in the boxes. When CME records were prepared for microfilming in 1978, minor changes were made in the arrangement of materials within the boxes. In March 1984, a checklist was prepared which reflects these changes and is accurate for the 67 reels of microfilm which cover all of the CME files except for six boxes of newspaper clippings. Old checklists have been retained for reference, and can be found in the collection folder.

CME periodicals are found in the SCPC periodical section as follows:

NEWSLETTER, March 1926 - April 1927, 6 issues.
BREAKING THE WAR HABIT, April 1932 - June 1939, complete, excepting March 1939.
NEWS BULLETIN, October, December 1939, and March, June 1940, 4 issues.

The Committee on Militarism in Education (CME) files hold administrative records from 1925 - 1940, which include executive committee minutes, executive secretary's reports, financial records and statements, fund-raising letters, and address lists of donors and sympathizers.

There are files of correspondence (1925 - 1940) with persons, organizations, and by year. Correspondents include Devere Allen, Eunice B. Armstrong, Henry A. Atkinson, Roger N. Baldwin, Charles F. Boss, Jr., Ellen Starr Brinton, Dorothy Dunbar Bromley, Carrie Chapman Catt, George A. Coe, Dorothy Detzer, Rose Dabney Forbes, Edwin C. Johnson, William Heard Kilpatrick, Winthrop D. Lane, Frederick J. Libby, Alfred D. Moore, Laura Puffer Morgan, Ray Newton, Mildred Scott Olmsted, Kirby Page, Florence M. Pharo, Jeannette Rankin, Norman Thomas, Wellington H. Tinker, Walter W. Van Kirk, Oswald Garrison Villard, Kenneth E. Walser, E. Raymond Wilson, Theresa L. Wilson, Andrew S. Wing, and Robert Wolforth.

The CME information files cover military training and the ROTC in detail, including clippings, quotations, studies, and state-by-state files of ROTC status at universities and highschools. There are records of political campaigns which the CME undertook, such as support of the Nye-Kvale Bill and the 1940 Anti-Conscription Campaign, and records of trials in which the CME assisted. There is a large collection of anti-military training pamphlets, many published by CME, and some rough drafts thereof, CME periodicals, and newspaper clippings on ROTC and CME activities. A small quantity of papers from Roswell Barnes, John Nevin Sayre, and Tucker Smith are also present in the collection.

None

Donors/Depositors: Committee on Militarism in Education

Received: December 1940

Accession number: 40-146

Microfilm: 67 reels Finding aids: Checklist prepared by Sherry Hartenstine (March 1984. EAD finding aid under construction by Wendy E. Chmielewski and Alexander Addison, January 2003. This collection was microfilmed under N.E.H. Grant No. RC 27706-77-739.