This finding aid is made available for public use following the Universal 1.0 Public Domain Dedication Creative Commons designation.
This collection is open for research.
The following boxes are located offsite: Box 1. Please note that requests for use of boxes held in offsite storage must be made three business days in advance.
This collection was purchased and received in the spring of 2022, accession GEN-2022-005.
William W. Bell was a Methodist missionary for 42 years in India and Burma, where he lived with is wife and children. During World War II, Bell worked in British prisoner of war camps with prisoners from Axis countries, under the auspices of the World's Committee of the Y.M.C.A., which was part of the National Council of the Y.M.C.A.s in India, Burma, and Ceylon.
General collections
Item description, William W. Bell papers, circa 1941-1945, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.
Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. The finding aid was created by Leah Edelman in 2022.
This collection contains reports and newsletters created or compiled by Reverend William W. Bell, a Methodist missionary working in India and Burma, and relating to his work with British prisoner of war camps during WWII through the YMCA. Reports are typed and detail Bell's efforts to introduce creative activities to prisoners of war from Axis countries in order to "prevent boredom;" some notes of thanks from prisoners of war are also included. Newsletters include the "Y.M.C.A. War Prisoners' Aid Commentator," "War Prisoners Aid Reporter," and "Y.M.C.A. War Prisoners Aid News."
Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.
This collection is arranged in chronological order.