By Cherie Acierno and Nicole Milano
Title: American Field Service World War I Records, 1914-1935
Predominant Dates:1915-1918
ID: RG1/001
Creator: American Field Service
Extent: 0.0 Cubic Feet. More info below.
Arrangement:
This collection is into the following four series, based on the administrative structure of the American Field Service during World War I: Series 1: Paris Headquarters; Series 2: Boston Office; Series 3: New York Office; Series 4: Chicago Office; Series 5: Publications and Promotional Material
In many cases, the collection is processed at a box level only; many folders (and individual items) remain unsorted within each series. In some cases, however, boxes were processed at a folder level and a folder list is given. See the individual series descriptions for more information.
The American Field Service (AFS) was a volunteer ambulance and camion corps serving with the French Army during World War I. AFS ceased to exist as an independent entity and was absorbed by the United States military when the United States entered the war in 1917. The American Field Service World War I Records contains reports, printed material, publications, correspondence, and other administrative files of the American Field Service during World War I.
The American Field Service World War I Records contains correspondence, reports, printed material, publications, and other administrative files of the American Field Service during World War I. The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence, reports, rosters, personnel records, and ambulance donor cards kept at the Paris headquarters, run by Inspector General Abram Piatt Andrew. There is also a smaller selection of correspondence and records from the Boston office, run by Henry Sleeper. There is one folder containing driver application forms from the New York City office. An AFS office in Chicago handled recruitment from the Western states in 1917, and there is one folder of driver application material from that office. There are also several boxes containing publications and promotional material produced or collection by the organized.
See the individual series and subseries descriptions for more information.
Alternate Extent Statement: 55 boxes, four film cans
Access Restrictions: This collection is open for research
Use Restrictions: Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be submitted in writing to the AFS Archives. In the event that this research becomes a source for publication, a credit line indicating the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs is required. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.
Acquisition Method: The collection was transferred to the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS Archives) by AFS staff at unknown dates. A significant percentage of the material from Paris Headquarters was transferred from Red Roof, A. Piatt Andrew’s home in Massachusetts, donated to the AFS Archives by Andrew’s grandnephew Andrew Gray at unknown dates.
Appraisal Information: Twenty-two published books, most of which were written by former American Field Service (AFS) ambulance or camion drivers, and include a privately-printed book of A. Piatt Andrew’s letters home (1916), were separated from this collection and added to the AFS Library. Three typescript manuscripts, including a copy of H. D. Sleeper’s personal letters to Andrew (1985), were also removed to the AFS library. For a list of materials in the AFS library or questions about accessing them, please contact the AFS Archives. In addition to the books and typescripts, personal collections of documents, donated by individual drivers and/or their heirs after the war have been removed from the American Field Service World War I Records and separated into individual archival collections whenever specific donors or drivers have been identified. Post-war material related to the American Field Service Association was also removed from this collection.
Related Materials: For more information about A. Piatt Andrew, consult the A. Piatt Andrew Collection (RG1/050) in the Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs., or the Andrew papers at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University in California and the AFS Foundation Headquarters in Switzerland. There is also a collection of American Field Service Records (1917-1919) at the Chicago History Museum, donated by Charles B. Pike. The American Hospital of Paris is still in existence, and maintains an archive. For the official records of the American Field Service during World War II, see the American Field Service World War II Records (RG2/001.)
Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], [Date]; American Field Service World War I Records; Archives of the American Field Service and AFS Intercultural Programs, New York, NY.
Processing Information: This collection was partially processed by L.D. Geller in 1988 under a grant by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, and again by Cherie Acierno in June 2011 and Nicole Milano in 2014. The finding aid written by Geller in 1988 has been superseded to take account of new accessions and a new series-level arrangement. The new preliminary finding aid was written and encoded in EAD by Cherie Acierno in June 2011, which was made possible through the 2010-2011 National Historical Publications and Records Commission Basic Processing grant. The finding aid text and collection arrangement was updated in 2014 by Nicole Milano.
0.92 cubic feet (3 boxes)
This series contains driver rosters, financial reports, and correspondence kept at the Boston office of the American Field Service, run by Henry D. Sleeper. The bulk of the series consists of letters from Andrew to Sleeper related to recruitment, publicity, personnel, supplies, donations, finances, and internal AFS politics. The correspondence between these two men is arranged chronologically. There is also correspondence with Anne Morgan, daughter of J.P. Morgan and founder of the American Committee for Devastated France regarding fundraising and recruitment, and various other correspondents related to fundraising through the production of books and films, including Our American Boys in the European War. There is also one completed AFS driver application form with a photograph attached.
This series is processed at a box level only; the folders (and individual items) remain unsorted.
