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Series IV: Civilian Defense
Series V: Educational and Military Training Programs
Series VI: Selective Service
Series VII: Service Records
Series VIII: Subject Files

Columbia University in World War II collection, 1933-1975

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Series VII: Service Records

This series consists of surveys, questionnaires, forms and lists from a successful attempt by the university to document the war activities (both military and civilian) of its faculty, staff and alumni. Includes original forms filled out by individuals as well as compilation lists from these surveys. There were three main attempts at gathering this information: the Alumni War Record, the Armed Services Status Surveys, and the War Activities Questionnaire.

The Alumni War Record includes correspondence from 1942-1943 regarding how colleges and universities were to keep up with their alumni who were entering the armed forces and how to create a war record. This part of the series includes lists of CU alumni in the armed forces (ca. 1942-1943) as well as examples of the printed matter sent out to collect alumni war record info. The Armed Services Status Surveys were sent to all departments of the University in 1950 to find out who had served in WWII as well as current military involvement (e.g., reserve unit, drafted, etc.). The files are arranged alphabetically, university offices first and then academic departments. Individual surveys are arranged alphabetically within a folder.

The War Activities Questionnaire comprises the bulk of this series. This was an attempt by the Office of the Secretary to survey all the faculty and staff at the University as to their participation in the war effort. Organized by Philip M. Hayden, Secretary of the University in 1946-1947, the Secretary was insistent that he obtain responses from everyone. Materials include departmental rosters/lists, completed survey forms, correspondence and memos regarding gathering of information, questionnaires filled out by faculty, instructors, research assistants, associates, assistant professors, and the occasional other (e.g., Trustees, chaplains, registrars, deans). Folders are arranged alphabetically by name of department, school or office and surveys are arranged alphabetically within each folder.

Alumni War Record


Box 51 Folder 1 Correspondence, 1942-1943

Box 51 Folder 2 Forms & Printed Matter, 1942-1944

Box 51 Folder 3 Lists, 1942-1943

Armed Services Status Survey

Box 51 Folder 4 Results, 1951

Box 51 Folder 5 Admissions, 1950

Box 51 Folder 6 Business Affairs, 1950

Box 51 Folder 7 Columbia College, 1950

Box 51 Folder 8 Development, 1950

Box 51 Folder 9 Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 10 Registrar's Office, 1950

Box 51 Folder 11 General Officers of Administration, 1950

Box 51 Folder 12 Anthropology, 1950

Box 51 Folder 13 Architecture, 1950

Box 51 Folder 14 Astronomy, 1950

Box 51 Folder 15 Barnard College, 1950

Box 51 Folder 16 Botany, 1950

Box 51 Folder 17 Business, 1950

Box 51 Folder 18 Chemical Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 19 Chemistry, 1950

Box 51 Folder 20 Chinese and Japanese, 1950

Box 51 Folder 21 Civil Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 22 Dramatic Arts, 1950

Box 51 Folder 23 Economics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 24 Electrical Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 25 English & Comparative Literature, 1950

Box 51 Folder 26 Fine Arts & Archaeology, 1950

Box 51 Folder 27 French, 1950

Box 51 Folder 28 General & Comparative Linguistics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 29 Geology, 1950

Box 51 Folder 30 German, 1950

Box 51 Folder 31 Graphics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 32 Greek & Latin, 1950

Box 51 Folder 33 History, 1950

Box 51 Folder 34 Industrial Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 35 International Affairs, 1950

Box 51 Folder 36 Italian, 1950

Box 51 Folder 37 Journalism, 1950

Box 51 Folder 38 Law, 1950

Box 51 Folder 39 Legislative Drafting Research Fund, 1950

Box 51 Folder 40 Library and Library Service, 1950

Box 51 Folder 41 Mathematics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 42 Mathematical Statistics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 43 Mechanical Engineering, 1950

Box 51 Folder 44 Mining and Metallurgy, 1950

Box 51 Folder 45 Music, 1950

Box 51 Folder 46 Naval Science, 1950

Box 51 Folder 47 Optometry, 1950

Box 51 Folder 48 Pharmacy, 1950

Box 51 Folder 49 Philosophy, 1950

Box 51 Folder 50 Physical Education, 1950

Box 51 Folder 51 Physics, 1950

Box 51 Folder 52 Psychology, 1950

Box 51 Folder 53 Public Law and Government, 1950

Box 51 Folder 54 Religion, 1950

Box 51 Folder 55 Semitic Languages, 1950

Box 51 Folder 56 Slavic Languages, 1950

Box 51 Folder 57 Social Work, NY School of, 1950

Box 51 Folder 58 Sociology, 1950

Box 51 Folder 59 Spanish, 1950


Box 52 Folder 1 Teachers College, 1950-1951

Box 52 Folder 2 Union Theological Seminary, 1950

Box 52 Folder 3 University Seminar, 1950

Box 52 Folder 4 Urban Land Use & Housing Studies, 1950

Box 52 Folder 5 Zoology, 1950

War Activities Questionnaires

Box 52 Folder 6 Correspondence & Memos, 1946-1947

Box 52 Folder 7-9 Departmental Rosters (A-Z, No Names), 1947, (3 Folders)

Box 52 Folder 10-20 A-L, 1946-1947, (11 Folders)


Box 53 Folder 1-9 M-Z, 1946-1947, (9 Folders)

Box 53 Folder 10-11 No Service, A-Z, 1946, (2 Folders)

Box 53 Folder 12 War Activities—Lists, c., 1946-1947