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Babcock (Conrad S.) papers
MSS.2015.11.23  
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Description
The Conrad S. Babcock papers, circa 1877-1941 (bulk 1898-1918), document Babcock's service in the U.S. Army from 1894-1937. The bulk of the collection consists of Babcock's memoirs detailing his military service at home, in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War and in France during the final months of World War I. The memoirs also document the rapid transformation in size, wartime tactics and weaponry taking place in the military at the turn of the century. Included are handwritten and typed drafts of his memoirs; letters from the War Department documenting his military service; battlefield maps; a typed memorandum written by John Breckinridge when he was a Captain in the 5th Cavalry; a photograph album documenting the end of World War I and photographs of the 22nd Infantry in Montana in the late 19th century. This collection is arranged into one series: Series I. Chronicles of Conrad S. Babcock, circa 1877-1941 (bulk 1898-1918).
Background
Conrad S. Babcock was born on February 26, 1876 in Stonington, Connecticut to Blandina Stanton and Brigadier General John Breckinridge Babcock, a Civil War veteran who served with the 5th Cavalry during the American Indian Wars. Conrad S. Babcock was appointed to the United States Military Academy (West Point) in 1894. After graduating from West Point in 1898, he served the first of two terms in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War. In 1901 he returned to the United States where he wedded Marion Eeles of San Francisco. They had two sons, Conrad Stanton, Jr. and Charles Parmelee Stanton, both of whom went on to have distinguished military careers. While in the United States, Babcock was stationed at numerous bases around the country, providing relief duty in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake and patrolling the borderlands of Yuma, Arizona during the Mexican Revolution. In 1917, Babcock was sent to France, where he led three different infantry regiments in battle during the final months of World War I. Over the course of his career, Conrad S. Babcock earned two Silver Star citations and a Distinguished Service Medal. Upon his retirement in 1937, Babcock began writing about his military service. His memoirs describe a rapidly growing army undergoing a dramatic shift in wartime tactics and weaponry. An edited version of his writings, Reminiscences of Conrad S. Babcock: The Old U.S. Army and the New, 1898-1918, was published in 2012. Though he retired as a Colonel in 1937, Babcock was advanced to Brigadier General on the retired list in 1940. He died in 1950 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California's oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name.
Extent
1.4 linear feet (2 boxes)
Restrictions
Materials in Archives & Special Collections may be subject to copyright. All requests for permission to publish from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the University Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Archives & Special Collections as the owner of the physical materials, and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials.
Availability
Collection is open for research.