Guide to the John M. Flaherty Collection of Japanese Internment Records MSS.2006.05.02
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
© 2006
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0028
special.collections@sjsu.edu
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Title: John M. Flaherty Collection of Japanese Internment Records
source:
Flaherty, John Melvin, Jr.
Identifier/Call Number: MSS.2006.05.02
Physical Description:
6 boxes
(9 linear feet)
Date (bulk): 1921-1966 (bulk 1942)
Abstract: This collection consists of documents and photographs relating to the establishment and administrative workings of the Western
Defense Command (WDC), the War Relocation Authority (WRA) and the Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA) for the year
1942. It includes administrative policies, orders, manuals, correspondence, statistics, posters, photographs and newspaper
clippings. Though the materials collected cover 1921-1966, the bulk of this collection documents the activities of 1942.
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for
permission to publish or quote manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended
to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions
also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files from or derived from these collections
is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
John M. Flaherty Collection of Japanese Internment Records, MSS-2006-05-02, San José State University Library, Special Collections
& Archives.
Processing Information
Processing and guide prepared by Russell Rader, reviewed by Danelle Moon. Guide encoded by Russell Rader, 2006
Biography / Administrative History
On February 19, 1942 President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 providing broad powers for the War Department to create
exclusion zones and to initiate an evacuation program for the Western Defense Command (WDC). Under the leadership of General
John Dewitt of the WDC, the Civil Affairs Division (CAD) and the Wartime Civil Control Administration (WCCA) were created
in order to provide for the transition of voluntary evacuees, enemy aliens and United States citizens alike, from exclusion
areas to other parts of the country. The failure of the voluntary evacuation plan led President Roosevelt to issue Executive
Order 9102, which established the civilian run War Relocation Authority (WRA). The WRA was mandated to institute enforced
evacuations. Due to the recalcitrance of states on the interior of the country to accept the Japanese evacuees or to provide
for their safety, the WRA also constructed internment centers in order to house the evacuees. Between 1942-1945 the WRA, the
WCCA, the CAD and the Office of the Commanding General of the Western Defense Command segregated and housed approximately
110,000 Japanese-American men, women and children.
Though the initial exclusion plan put forth by General Dewitt included both German and Italian citizens, the Japanese Americans
bore the brunt of Executive Order 9066.
Related Material
Willard E. Schmidt Papers, MSS-2007-08-01, San José State University Library Special Collections and Archives.
Scope and Content of Collection
This artificial collection consists of documents and photographs relating to the establishment and administrative workings
of the Western Defense Command (WDC), the War Relocation Authority (WRA) and the Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA)
for the year 1942. It includes administrative policies, orders, manuals, correspondence, statistics, posters, photographs
and newspaper clippings. The bulk of this collection documents the activities of 1942 but materials in series IV cover other
time periods.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into five series: Series I. War Relocation Authority; Series II. Wartime Civilian Control Administration;
Series III. Western Defense Command; Series IV. Printed Matter; and Series V. Japanese Internment Photograph Album.
Within each series, folders have been given titles that often use abbreviations in place of full organizational names.
Abbreviation List
- ATD: Alaska Travel Division
- CAD: Civil Affairs Division
- EOD: Evacuation Operations Division
- OCG: Office of the Commanding General
- SSB: Special Services Branch
- WCCA: Wartime Civilian Control Administration
- WDC: Western Defense Command
- WRA: War Relocation Authority
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War, 1939-1945 -- California
Japanese Americans -- Evacuation and relocation -- 1942-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Evacuation of civilians
United States -- Army -- Western Defense Command
United States -- Wartime Civil Control Administration
United States -- War Relocation Authority
Fullerton, Colonel Hugh T.
Flaherty, John Melvin, Jr.
Series I. War Relocation Authority
1942
Scope and Contents
This series documents the formation of the War Relocation Authority (WRA) and the internal workings of the agency including
administrative memos and reports concerning the operation of the internment camps for the year 1942. In addition, bibliographies
and reports compiled by the WRA examining the cultural background of Japanese Americans, as well as, an interview between
the Director of the Colorado River Relocation Project and its Supply and Transportation Officer following a camp protest are
included.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically and is delineated by division name, document type and date.
Box 1, Folder 1
Administrative Manual
1942
Box 1, Folder 2
Administrative Notices
1942
Box 1, Folder 4
Memoranda/Miscellaneous
1942
Box 1, Folder 5
Legal Authorizations
1942
Box 1, Folder 6
Press Briefings, Releases and Statements
1942
Box 1, Folder 7
Studies and Center Collected information
1942 (1 of 2)
box 1, Folder 8
Studies and Center Collection Information
1942 (2 of 2)
Series II. Wartime Civilian Control Administration
1942
Scope and Contents
This series is comprised of bulletins, circulars, memoranda, administrative notices, general, evacuation and transfer orders,
as well as, public proclamations and exclusion orders issued by the Wartime Civilian Control Administration (WCCA) in 1942.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically and is delineated by division name, document type and date. Folders 16 and 17 are organized
by their "transfer order number."
Box 1, Folder 9
Alaska Travel Division: Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, and Miscellaneous
1942
Box 1, Folder 10
Evacuation Operations Division: Reports, Statistics, and Operations Progress Chart
1942
Box 1, Folder 12
Instructions and Regulations: Miscellaneous
1942 July-October
Box 1, Folder 13
Instructions and Regulations: Operations Manual
1942
Box 1, Folder 14
Instructions and Regulations: Security Manual
1942
Box 1, Folder 15
Legal Authorizations
1942
Box 1, Folder 16
Administrative Orders
1942
Box 1, Folder 17
Transfer Orders 1-19
1942
Box 1, Folder 18
Transfer Orders 20-29
1942
Box 1, Folder 19
Personnel, Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, and Miscellaneous
1942
Box 1, Folder 20
Reports, Statistics, and Japanese Surname Master List
1942
Box 1, Folder 21
Daily Recapitulation Report
1942 June 5-August 2
Box 2, Folder 1
Daily Recapitulation Report
1942 August 3-September 27
Box 2, Folder 2
Daily Recapitulation Report
1942 September 28-November 3
Box 2, Folder 3
Statistical Division: Bulletins and Reports
1942
Box 2, Folder 4
Statistical Division: Exclusion Orders and Camp Locations
1942
Box 2, Folder 5
Statistical Division: Index of Cities and Towns in Military Areas
1942
Series III. Western Defense Command
1942
Scope and Contents
This series is comprised of bulletins, circulars, memoranda, administrative notices, instructions and regulations (for camps
and centers), reports and statistics, public notices, legal authorizations, press releases, evacuation proposals, exclusion
orders and evacuation instructions, proclamations and blank camp forms. In addition, boxes 4 and 5 contain oversized materials
which include exclusion orders, evacuation instructions, exclusion area maps and a population graph. The documents in folders
29 and 30 were put together by the WCCA Statistical Division for Lieutenant Colonel Ira K. Evans.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically and is delineated by division name, document type and date.
Civil Affairs Division
1942
Box 2, Folder 6
Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, Exclusions and Evacuations
1942 March-April
Box 2, Folder 7
Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, Exclusions and Evacuations
1942 May-September
Box 2, Folder 8
Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, and Miscellaneous
1942
Box 2, Folder 9
Proclamations, Forms, Statistical Bulletins, and Press Releases
1942
Box 2, Folder 10
Exclusion Orders and Instructions
1942
Office of the Commanding General
1942
Box 2, Folder 12
Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, Evacuation and Transfer Orders
1942
Box 2, Folder 13
Administrative Instructions, Memoranda, and Miscellaneous
1942
Box 3, Folder 3
Civilian Restrictive Orders
1942
Box 3, Folder 4
Public Proclamations and Exclusion Orders: 1 of 2
1942
Box 3, Folder 5
Public Proclamations and Exclusion Orders: 2 of 2
1942
Civilian Exclusion Orders
1942
Box 4, Folder 2
Exclusion Order no. 11-20
Box 4, Folder 3
Exclusion Order no. 21-30
Box 4, Folder 4
Exclusion Order no. 31-43
Box 4, Folder 5
Exclusion Order no. 44-54
Box 4, Folder 6
Exclusion Order no. 55-70
Box 4, folder 7
Exclusion Order no. 71-85
Box 4, Folder 8
Exclusion Order no. 86-96
Box 4, Folder 9
Exclusion Order no. 97-108
Evacuation Instructions, Exclusion Area Maps and Population Graph
1942
Box 5, Folder 1
Comparative Chart of Japanese Arrivals
Box 5, Folder 2
Evacuation Instructions: Arizona
Box 5, Folder 3
Evacuation Instructions: California
Box 5, Folder 4
Evacuation Instructions: Oregon
Box 5, Folder 5
Evacuation Instructions: Washington State
Box 5, Folder 8
Maps of Prohibited or Restricted Zones: Arizona
Box 5, Folder 9
Maps of Prohibited or Restricted Zones: California
Box 5, Folder 10
Maps of Prohibited or Restricted Zones: Oregon
Box 5, folder 11
Maps of Prohibited or Restricted Zones: Washington State
Box 5, Folder 12
State Maps of Japanese Population: California, Oregon Washington State
Box 5, Folder 13
Western Defense Command Chart
Series IV. Printed Matter
1921-1966
Scope and Contents
This series is comprised of senate bills and reports, press releases, speeches and excerpts of speeches from a variety of
government representatives and private individuals as well as publications advocating for and against Japanese Americans and
their civil rights. Of note is a handwritten letter concerning naturalization of Japanese Americans (in Miscellaneous) and
the publications produced in the internment camps.
Arrangement
This series is arranged alphabetically and is delineated by division name, document type and date.
Box 3, Folder 6
National Defense Migration 4th Interim Report
1942
Box 3, Folder 7
Government and Private Publications: 1 of 2
1921-1966
Box 3, Folder 10
Speeches, Official Statements, and Press Releases: California Joint Immigration Committee
1935-1939
Box 3, Folder 11
Speeches, Official Statements, and Press Releases: Miscellaneous
1935-1945
Box 3, Folder 12
Relocation Center Publications
1942-1943
Box 6
Series V. Japanese Internment Photograph Album
1942-1945
Scope and Contents
This series contains photographs, taken from multiple sources, depicting a variety of activities undertaken by the Japanese
evacuees from their initial registration at Civilian Control Centers, to their lives at the assembly centers and finally their
evacuation to the internment camps (Relocation Centers). Of note is a photograph of a soldier posting exclusion order #1 that
affected the Japanese living on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound, Washington. The compiler of the album is not stated. Assembly
Centers pictured are: Santa Anita, Pomona, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento, Turlock, Puyallup, Long Beach, and Salinas. Civilians
Control Stations/Reception centers pictured are: Visala, Sanger, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Manzanar. War Relocation
Centers pictured are Heart Mountain and Granada.
Arrangement
The photos in the album are arranged numerically.
