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Title: William Rudolph Gruber papers
Date (inclusive): 1911-1978
Collection Number: 82110
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
4 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 oversize folder
(5.4 Linear Feet)
Abstract: The papers of William Rudolph Gruber, U.S. Army brigadier general, consist of correspondence, orders, reports, memoranda,
writings, certificates, printed matter, maps, and photographs relating to American military administration of the Panama Canal
and American military operations in France during World War I and in the Far East during World War II.
Creator:
Gruber, William R. (William Rudolph), 1890-1979
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Box 5 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials
must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection,
they must be reformatted before providing access.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1982.
[Identification of item], William Rudolph Gruber papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
| November 30, 1912 | Named commander, United States Army |
| December 17, 1890 | Born, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1913-1917 | Served in Panama |
| 1924 | Attended Field Artillery School, Fort Still, Oklahoma |
| June 16, 1919 | Married Helen L. Drennan |
| 1917-1918 | Served as batallion and regiment commander, 17th Field Artillery, 2nd Division, in the Soissons, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, Champagne, and Meuse-Argonne operations |
| 1929 | Attended Army War College, Washington, D.C. |
| 1925-1928 | Instructor, Command and General Staff School |
| 1925 | Graduated with honors from the Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas |
| 1933-1937 | Served as assistant to three secretaries of war on affairs of the Panama Canal, Inland Waterways Corporation, Army engineer projects, and War Department negotiations on the treaty with Panama |
| 1930-1938 | Director, Panama Railroad and Steamship Company |
| 1929-1930 | Served as commander, 7th Field Artillery |
| 1938-1941 | Served as G.A., chief of staff, Hawaiian Division |
| 1936-1938 | Served as commander, 36th Field Artillery |
| 1936 | Attended Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island |
| February 1942 | Named brigadier general |
| 1942-1945 | Served as artillery commander, 38th and 24th Divisions, Burma, India, China, S.W. Pacific, New Guinea, and Philippine operations |
| 1941 | Served as commander, 26th Field Artillery Brigade, Camp Roberts, California |
| 1940 | Oversaw Army housing construction project in Hawaii |
| 1946 | Retired from the U.S. Army |
| January 27, 1979 | Died, Carmel, California |
| 1945 | Served as assistant Army-Navy Foreign Liquidation Commissioner, State Deptartment, Europe |
Source: Marquis Biographies Online. Who Was Who in America. http://search.marquiswhoswho.com/profile/200010813094. Accessed
26 November 2014.
Scope and Content of Collection
The William Rudolph Gruber papers consist of correspondence, orders, reports, memoranda, writings, certificates, printed matter,
maps, and photographs documenting Gruber's wide-ranging career in the United States Army.
The
Military Career File includes correspondence, memoranda, citations, certificates, and reports documenting Gruber's promotions, assignments, decorations
(notably the Silver Star with Third Oak Leaf Cluster and the French Croix de Guerre), leaves of absence, and retirement. The
World War I File consists of printed matter documenting military operations in France, particularly the Battle of Blanc Mont. The
World War II File consists of Gruber's military analysis on the vulnerability of Pearl Harbor, as well as reports and other materials relating
to the China-Burma India Theater, where Gruber led campaigns under General Joseph Stilwell, providing intelligence and communications
in liaisons with Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and analysis on the military readiness of China and India. The
Panama Canal File consists of correspondence, reports, agendas, and printed matter related to the American military administration of the Panama
Canal, gathered during Gruber's role as assistant to three U.S. secretaries of war.
The
Correspondence series includes Gruber's letters to and from notable figures, such as presidents Eisenhower, Truman, and Hoover and Generalissimo
Chiang Kai-shek. The
Writings series includes Gruber's letters to the editor for various publications, authored articles reflecting on military operations,
reports, and manuscripts, as well as research materials. The
Photographs series consists of photographs of the Panama Canal (including Franklin D. Roosevelt's visits in 1934), World War I battles,
and portraits of figures such as Douglas MacArthur and Chiang Kai-shek. Finally, the
Maps series includes annotated war period military and civilian maps of Panama and Asia, comprised of collected data in the field
used for military analysis and civilian reports. The military maps are strategic in nature and depict troop movement.
The collection is organized according to Gruber's original arrangement, in chronological order.
Papers of William R. Gruber, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
Claire Lee Chennault papers 1941-1967, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
John Richard Shaffer papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Joseph Warren Stilwell papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Ralph Corbett Smith papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Raymond Ames Spruance miscellaneous papers, Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Officers
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Burma
Panama Canal (Panama)
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Philippines
United States -- Armed Forces -- Panama
World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- China
United States. Army