Guide to the San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection

Kimberly Koshiyama
SJSU Library Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
San José State University
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192- 0028
Phone: (408) 808- 2062
Fax: (408) 808-2063
Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu
URL: http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/special/speci al_coll/
© 2010
Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.

Guide to the San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection

Collection number: MSS-2010-05-03



SJSU Special Collections & Archives
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

San José State University

One Washington Square

San José, CA 95192-0028

Phone: (408) 808-2062

Fax: (408) 808-2063

Email: special.collections@sjsu.edu

URL: http://library.sjsu.edu/sjsu-special-collections/sjsu-special-collections-and-archives


Finding aid funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Processed by:
Kimberly Koshiyama
Date Completed:
2010
Encoded by:
Kimberly Koshiyama
© 2010 Trustees of the California State University. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection
Dates: 1914-1949
Bulk Dates: 1942-1948
Collection number: MSS- 2010-05-03
Creator: San José State University
Collection Size: 7 boxes (11.17 linear feet)
Repository: San José State University. Library.
San José, California 95192-0028
Abstract: The San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection, 1914-1949 (bulk 1942-1948), consists of materials related to students and faculty who served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II. The collection consists of index card files, newspaper clippings, a USO scrapbook, service ledgers, and memorial flags. This collection is arranged into three series: Series I: Military Service Files, 1914-1918, 1940-1949; Series II: World War II Memorabilia, 1940s; and Series III: World War II Scrapbooks and Printed Matter, 1940-1949.
Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

The 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 from 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 reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

Guide to the San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection , MSS-2010-05-03, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Biography / Administrative History

In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San Jose, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal school is now San Jose State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.

Scope and Content of Collection

The San Jose State College World War I and World War II Collection, 1914-1949 (bulk 1942- 1948), consists of materials related to students and faculty who served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II. The collection consists of index card files, newspaper clippings, a USO scrapbook, service ledgers, and memorial flags.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series: Series I: Military Service Files, 1914 -1918, 1940-1949; Series II: World War II Memorabilia, 1940s; and Series III: World War II Scrapbooks and Printed Matter, 1940-1949.

Subject Headings

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
San José State University -- Students -- History
San José State University -- Faculty -- History
San José State University -- History
San Jose State Normal School -- History
San Jose State Teachers College -- History
San Jose State College -- History
Education, Higher -- California -- San Jose
World War, 1914-1918 -- History
World War, 1939-1945 -- History

Bibliography

Gilbert, Benjamin F, and Charles Burdick. Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José: San José State University, 1980.
San José State University. About SJSU. http://www.sjsu.edu/about_sjsu/ 
Walsh, James P. San José State University: An Interpretive History, 1950-2000. San José: San José State University, 2003.

Related Material

In Memory of San Jose State Gold Star Students of World War II. D736 .I53 1994. (Self-published, 1994).
San José State University Campus Buildings Records, MSS-2010-02-03, San José State University Library Special Collections and Archives.

 

Series I:  Military Service Files 1914-1918, 1940-1949

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series documents San Jose State College students and faculty who served in the armed forces during World War I and World War II. The series is comprised of biographical index cards that include individual names, place of birth, rank/branch of service, military training locations, date of service discharge, and death dates.

Arrangement

The index card files are arranged alphabetically by surname, and box two includes categories related to women in service, gold stars, and prisoners.
Box 1

Student and Faculty Index Cards, WWI and WWII 1914-1949

Box 2

Student and Faculty Index Cards, WWII 1940-1949

 

Series II: World War II Memorabilia 1940's

Physical Description: 3 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains four memorial flags created in honor of San Jose State College students and faculty who served in the armed forces in World War II. During the war, a blue star was stenciled on a flag whenever a member of the SJSC community entered the armed forces. Each of the more than 4,500 stars is identified with an individual's name. A gold star, superimposed on the appropriate blue star, marks each sacrifice of life. In total, there are 204 gold stars on the flags. The large gold star on "Flag One" memorializes President Franklin Roosevelt. In addition, the series includes four ledgers that list the names of each student or faculty member honored on the memorial flags.
For many years, the flags were preserved in the Spartan Memorial Chapel located on the SJSC campus. The chapel serves as a monument to the two hundred SJSC service members killed in WWII. Funded by financial contributions from alumni, students, faculty and friends of the university, the chapel's construction began in 1949 and was completed in 1952. The Memorial Chapel is still in existence today, and is commonly utilized for events such as weddings and initiations for student organizations on campus.

Arrangement

This series is arranged by format.
Box 3

World War II Memorial Flags (2) 1940s

Box 4

World War II Memorial Flags (2) 1940s

Box 5

World War II Service Ledgers (4) 1940s

 

Series III: World War II Scrapbooks and Printed Matter 1940-1949

Physical Description: 2 boxes

Series Scope and Content Summary

The materials in this series include a United Service Organizations (USO) scrapbook documenting various social events and gatherings held on the SJSC campus in the 1940s, as well as a guest book with signatures of service men and women who attended Sunday evening Open Houses at the Student Union in 1944 and 1945. In addition, the series includes a Handbook for Americans (Rand McNally and Company, 1943), which contains information regarding the President of the United States, the Monroe Doctrine, and the United States Constitution. The series also includes a mimeographed document with indexed lists of SJSC faculty and students in the armed forces, the names of individuals listed as gold stars on the memorial flags, and information pertaining to the Memorial Chapel.

Arrangement

This series is arranged by format.
Box 6

USO Scrapbook, Handbook for Americans, Mimeographed document - SJSC Students and Faculty in WWII 1940-1949

Box 7

Servicemen's Guest Book 1944-1945