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Post (Lauren C.) Papers
MS-0353
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Lauren C. Post Papers
Creator:
Post, Lauren Chester
Identifier/Call Number: MS-0353
Physical Description:
0.42 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1917-1977
Language of Material:
English
.
The
Lauren C. Post Papers (1917-1977) document Dr. Lauren Post's involvement with San Diego State College servicemen in World War II as well as his
professional output as professor of geography at San Diego State. The collection includes correspondence, essays, monographs,
programs, news clippings, and photographs.
The collection is divided into two series, arranged alphabetically:
World War II San Diego State Servicemen Files (1943-1953) and
Professional Files (1939-1978). The [url=https://digital.sdsu.edu/view-item?key=R3siTiI6NDksIlAiOnsiaXRlbV90eXBlcyI6WzJdfX0&pg=22&WINID=1560014015460#v1jLIIu5UnQAAAFrN_WnMQ/291293]
World War II San Diego State Servicemen Files[/url] (also available online) include correspondence from Post regarding
Aztec News Letter donations, programs from events honoring Aztec servicemen, and annotated address changes for distribution of the
Aztec News Letter. Of particular note is an essay written by Post about San Diego State men and women who served in World War II, with a focus
on the 134 Aztecs who were killed in action during the war.
Professional Files primarily consists of essays and monographs written by Post. The series includes extensive documentation of his Santa Fe
Trail trip, including a travelogue, essays, and photographs. Also included in this series is a folder of Post's personal documents,
which contains his Navy enlistment and discharge papers, dated 1919.
I. World War II San Diego State Servicemen Files, 1943-1953
II. Professional Files, 1939-1978
This collection is open for research.
Lauren Chester Post Papers, 1899-1977, Louisiana State University
World War II San Diego State College Servicemen's Correspondence Collection, 1941-1945
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Lauren C. Post Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, San
Diego State University Library.
A native of Rayne, Louisiana, Lauren Post was professor of geography at San Diego State from 1937-1969. He was educated at
the University of California and Louisiana State University, and taught at San Francisco State and at Louisiana State before
coming to San Diego State. Post is remembered for his
Aztec News Letter in which he corresponded with Aztec servicemen and women during World War II.
Immediately after Pearl Harbor and as the War progressed, Aztec students were soon scattered all over the globe, disconnected
and separated from their college, their friends, their loved ones, and their former lives. In the spring of 1942, Dr. Post,
a veteran of World War I, decided to try a "news service experiment" intended to provide information about the locations of
current and former Aztecs dispersed around the world. The
Aztec News Letter thus became a crucial lifeline throughout the War for Aztec servicemen and women facing difficulty and danger wherever they
were stationed. Lauded as one of the first of its kind in the nation, the
Aztec News Letter premiered in May of 1942 and was released monthly until its 48th issue in March of 1946. By then, The
Aztec News Letter circulated to more than 3,000 service and home front readers. The project and the letters that made it possible would forever
characterize the Aztec spirit during wartime. Not only are the letters historically significant; they also offer a unique
perspective about San Diego State during a global crisis.
The copyright interests in the materials found in this collection have not been transferred to San Diego State University.
Special Collections and University Archives can only grant permission to publish materials for which it is the copyright holder.
For further information, please consult the section on copyright in the rules for using the collections, or contact the United
States Copyright Office at (202) 707-3000 or http://www.copyright.gov.
9999-043
Subjects and Indexing Terms
San Diego State University--Faculty--Biography
Personal Papers
United States--Armed Forces--Biography--Sources
Santa Fe National Historic Trail--Pictorial works
San Diego State College
Post, Lauren C.--Archives
San Diego State University--Alumni and alumnae--Biography--Sources