World War II activities collection

Collection — Folder: 1-5

Identifier: RITArc-0009

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The World War II activities collection consists of a variety of documents related to the wartime activities of the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI) during World War II. In addition to correspondence and memoranda on various topics, the collection includes brochures listing courses during the time, lists of soldiers affiliated with RAMI, and lists of individuals connected to RAMI that were killed during the war.

The collection also contains information on employee participation in a war savings bond initiative, including specific figures and an award given by the U.S. Treasury Department for having 90% participation in the voluntary payroll deduction program.

Correspondence is also available regarding job rehabilitation efforts for veterans and for the Veterans Administration's Advisement Center and RIT Guidance Center, both of which were housed on RIT's campus starting in 1945.

The last folder contains clippings related to Sergeant Carl G. LoDolce's imprisonment as a result of the Holohan murder case. LoDolce was a part-time student at RIT at the time and was arrested while on campus. The folder also includes clippings on the impact of the GI Bill on college enrollment following the war.

Dates

1941-1985
Majority of material found within 1941 - 1947

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Historical Information: World War II activities

As with World War I, the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI) played an active role in supporting the United States during the Second World War. Many programs and courses were altered to coincide with jobs necessary for wartime production. Some courses that were specifically created or revised included: Machine-shop practice, tool- and dye-making, instrument making, inspection, mechanical drawing, blueprint readings, and lathe operation. Additionally, a series of "preinduction" mathematics and engineering courses were offered to prepare individuals wishing to serve in aviation, signal, or engineering outfits. RAMI was also subcontracted to train 15 members of the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

In addition to revising its curriculum to better serve the war effort, RAMI implemented an employee war savings bond program. Members of the RAMI community could sign-up for a voluntary payroll deduction, used to purchase war savings bonds. As a result of its efforts, RAMI was awarded a certificate of recognition by the U.S. Treasury Department for having 90% participation amongst employees. This, along with other initiatives, such as creating an American Red Cross office on campus, helped RAMI further support the war effort at home.

Following the war, the newly named Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) formed a partnership with the local branch of the U.S. Veterans Administration office. The Veterans Administration Advisement Center and the RIT Guidance Center were housed in RIT's Reynolds Library from 1945 to 1947. RIT also created a policy for re-admitting veterans to the University and developed a program to rehabilitate disabled veterans no longer able to perform their previous job functions.

Extent

5 Folder(s)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

Documents related to the activities of the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute during World War II. The collection consists mostly of correspondence, memoranda, and articles, but also includes information on an employee war savings bond program and lists of individuals connected to the Institute that were killed during the war. Additionally, the collection contains information on the U.S. Veterans Administration's Advisement Center (located on campus), clippings on Carl LoDolce's imprisonment over the Holohan murder case, and articles on the impact of the GI Bill.

Arrangement

Materials are contained within 5 folders. The first folder contains a variety of documents, while the second folder contains a list of soldiers affiliated with the Mechanics Institute and the third folder contains lists of individuals killed during the war. The fourth folder consists of materials related to the U.S. Veterans Administration's Advisement Center (located on RIT's campus) and the fifth folder holds miscellaneous clippings, mostly on LoDolce and the GI Bill.