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At our Reunion in Seven Springs in July 1980, William A. Edie
raised a very important subject for discussion at the Board of
Governors' meeting. It was time, if not past time, for us to
consider finding a way to collect and preserve our veterans'
records - letters, diaries, newspaper clippings, photos, maps
and similar material before they become lost beyond recall. Our
December 1980 Newsletter reported as follows: The Board of Governors
among other actions "Voted: A Depository Committee (Paul
J. Woods, a professor of history at Texas Tech University, Lubbock,
TX; Ernest DeSoto, Louisville, KY; Andrew Barr, Washington, D.C.)
for the collection of Third Armored Division memorabilia."
Haynes Dugan, a graduate of Texas A & M had established
good relations with that University's library staff and Andrew
Barr had a cordial relationship with the University of Illinois
library staff. Through consultation and correspondence, it was
learned that both of these libraries were interested in the project.
At our reunion in Hot Springs the Committee (Woods not able
to be present and Dugan participating) met and discussed the
project at length and prepared a resolution for the Board of
Governors and the General Meeting. The Secretary's certification
of the actions taken in support of the Committee's recommendation
follows: "Action taken at Meeting of Board of Governors,
Third Armored Division Association, July 23, 1981, Hot Springs,
Arkansas.
"On Motion made and seconded it was VOTED: That a representative
of the Third Armored Division Association is authorized to confirm,
in conference with the Librarian of the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign or his authorized representative, that the
University of Illinois will accept and preserve, for the use
of interested persons, valuable papers such as letters, notes,
photographs, diaries, maps, and similar documents having to do
with the Third Armored Division in World War II.
"The decision as to what documents shall be accepted
and preserved will be made by the said Librarian or his authorized
representative.
"This Motion and action thereon was reported to the membership
at their meeting on July 24, 1981, and unanimously approved by
them."
The Committee's choice of the University of Illinois Library
rests in part on the fact that the library is the largest state
university library and the fifth largest library in the United
States. It also has the advantages of its central location, making
our archives readily accessible to the largest concentration
of our membership.
On October 7, Andrew Barr visited the University of Illinois
and conferred with University Librarian Hugh C Atkinson; Maynard
Brichford, Archivist; Professor Robert Sutton, Director of the
Illinois Historical Survey; John Hoffman, Survey Librarian; and
Joan Hood, Library Director of Development and Public Affairs,
who had made the arrangements. Our Committee's draft resolution
was presented and followed up by mail, with the official minutes
quoted above. The library officials demonstrated an enthusiastic
interest in the project and discussed the library's facilities,
construction plans (contracts for addition to the stacks being
received at that time with a ground breaking ceremony planned
for about January 15, 1982) and discussed preparation of documents
to be submitted by our members when the University is prepared
to receive them. A feature of the visit was a tour of the Illinois
Historical Survey and University Archives with special attention
to security and at the same time availability of the records
for inspection and study.
In preparation for the time when the University will be ready
to accept our contributions of material we should begin to search
our files, boxes and trunks in the attic, top shelves in closets,
everywhere we may have stored our wartime treasures. The writer
was surprised at what he found when he made a test search.
The following guidelines should be carefully observed:
1. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE LIBRARY WILL BE READY TO ACCEPT
MATERIAL THIS SUMMER. IN THE MEANTIME, THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVIST
SUGGESTS THAT HIS STAFF COULD REGULATE THE FLOW OF MATERIAL AND
ELIMINATE THE SHIPMENT OF MANY DUPLICATES IF CONTRIBUTORS WOULD
SEND A LISTS OR INVENTORIES OF MATERIAL BEGINNING NOW.
2. ONLY DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL CAN BE ACCEPTED - NO HARD DISPLAY
MATERIAL SUCH AS MEDALS, WEAPONS, EQUIPMENT, ARTICLES OF UNIFORMS,
COLORS AND BANNERS. THERE WILL BE NO DISPLAY SPACE AVAILABLE
FOR SUCH MATERIAL.
3. Type of material and preparation before sending it:
a. Letters - note name, rank and unit of writer, date
an place of writing, name and relationship of addressee - mother,
wife, friend, etc. b. Diaries - name, rank and unit of
writer, dates and places, if not noted in the entries. c.
Orders - naming the individual donor - identify. Officer
and NCO notebooks containing notes of oral orders given at
staff conferences or elsewhere. Identify name, rank, unit, date
and place. d. Photographs - note names, ranks, and unit
of individuals, date and place taken. e. Maps - marked, overlays,
sketches, route maps of units - identify date, place and donor
(name, rank and unit).
f. Unit Journals - Identify unit and preparer. g.
Propaganda material - Allied and German - note place used,
- other identification as above. h. Newspaper clippings
- Hometown papers. Stars and Stripes, Yank - date and
place of publication. Most of our clippings are now yellow and
brittle with age. Send original clippings which the library can
photo copy on good paper.
All items should be arranged in chronological order in their
category. Send originals and make copies for yourself, if desired.
Pictures can be copied too.
Members of your Committee have started to sort and prepare
their materials so they will be ready when the library is ready
to receive the contributions. Most of us will need the time to
do a good job and thereby contribute to a most worthwhile historical
effort.
DO NOT, REPEAT DO NOT, SEND ANY MATERIAL TO THE LIBRARY
UNTIL YOU ARE ADVISED IN THE NEWS LETTER THAT THE LIBRARY IS
READY TO ACCEPT YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS.
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