United States. Office of War Information

Kaghan was the Chief of the Basic News Division, News and Features Bureau, in the Office of War Information; he was based in New York City.

During World War II, Carl Zigrosser spent a year co-ordinating a project for the Office of War Information. The program organized 4 sets of prints by American artists to uses as propaganda tools overseas. The prints were to represent "the actual nature of life in the United States." The Philadelphia Museum of Art agreed to sponsor the exhibition, and serve as a staging area.

Life in Philadelphia during World War II was about sacrifice, community service, and patriotic support of the war effort. Philadelphians began conserving household goods in response to government rationing programs; they offered entertainment and comfort to servicemen on leave through USO clubs and motherly correspondence; they engaged in political discourse, bought war bonds, and stepped up industrial production.In order to document the war effort from the perspective of organizations on the home front in Philadelphia, the War History Committee at Historical Society of Pennsylvania began soliciting war-related materials from a number of community and social service agencies in Philadelphia in late 1942. The materials they collected were exhibited at the time, before being permanently added to Historical Society of Pennsylvania's holdings as an artificial collection. Organizations represented include: Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies and the Fight for Freedom Committee; Office of War Information; and the United Service Organization of Philadelphia, including constituent agencies the Jewish Welfare Board and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).The Office of War Information (OWI) was established by an Executive Order on June 13, 1942. It coordinated the informational activities of other governmental agencies and ensured accurate and consistent flow of information from the Government to the public, both in the United States and abroad. Its creation combined the existing Office of Facts and Figures, Office of Government Reports, the Division of Information in the Office for Emergency Management, and a few other agencies. OWI carried out its information program through the press, radio, motion pictures and other media. OWI was terminated on September 15, 1945. The Committee to Defend America (also called Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, or CDAAA) and the Fight for Freedom Committee were both anti-isolationist lobbying groups founded in 1940. The Committee to Defend America was a propaganda organization based out of New York City. Its founders hoped to use the Committee to mold public opinion in favor of American assistance to Britain. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, in January 1942, the CDAAA joined with the Council for Democracy to form Citizens for Victory: To Win the War, To Win the Peace. That group disbanded the following October. The Fight for Freedom Committee was an offshoot of the Committee to Defend America, and was a proponent of full American participation in the war. It monitored closely the activities of isolationists and isolationist groups such as the America First Committee. Fight for Freedom dispersed its message through state and local branches of the organization as well as through the news media. It was dissolved in early 1942.The Philadelphia United Service Organization (USO) was established in 1941 through a partnership of six agencies: Jewish Welfare Board (JWB), YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army, Travelers Aid, and the National Catholic Commission Services. Hospitality centers and entertainment clubs were founded throughout the city where servicemen and servicewomen could come to arrange for lodging and other services, or to enjoy free food and entertainment. One prominent club in Philadelphia was the Stage Door Canteen, located in the basement of the Academy of Music, which was the Hospital Entertainment Canteen after the war. Another popular club was the Labor Plaza, located near City Hall. Both were administered by the Philadelphia USO. Although unaffiliated with the USO, Mrs. Louisa M. Weber, a member of St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia, similarly dedicated herself to providing comfort to servicemen. Over the course of World War II, she corresponded with over 76 servicemen.Bibliography:The preceding historical note was written using unattributed resources in the collection file at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Other sources consulted include:"Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies records, Finding Aid." Princeton University Library, Mudd Manuscript Library (Accessed online on December 30, 2010: http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?id=ark:/88435/vt150j254)."Fight for Freedom, Inc. Records⁰́Œ, Finding Aid." Princeton University Library, Mudd Manuscript Library (accessed online on December 30, 2010: http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?id=ark:/88435/xd07gs69m).Weigley, Russell F., ed. Philadelphia: A 300 Year History. New York: W.W. Nortonand Co., 1982.

American governmental agency for dissemination of war information and propaganda during World War II.

Biographical/Historical Note

American governmental agency for dissemination of war information and propaganda during World War II.

Life in Philadelphia during World War II was about sacrifice, community service, and patriotic support of the war effort. Philadelphians began conserving household goods in response to government rationing programs; they offered entertainment and comfort to servicemen on leave through USO clubs and motherly correspondence; they engaged in political discourse, bought war bonds, and stepped up industrial production.

In order to document the war effort from the perspective of organizations on the home front in Philadelphia, the War History Committee at Historical Society of Pennsylvania began soliciting war-related materials from a number of community and social service agencies in Philadelphia in late 1942. The materials they collected were exhibited at the time, before being permanently added to Historical Society of Pennsylvania's holdings as an artificial collection. Organizations represented include: Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies and the Fight for Freedom Committee; Office of War Information; and the United Service Organization of Philadelphia, including constituent agencies the Jewish Welfare Board and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).

The Office of War Information (OWI) was established by an Executive Order on June 13, 1942. It coordinated the informational activities of other governmental agencies and ensured accurate and consistent flow of information from the Government to the public, both in the United States and abroad. Its creation combined the existing Office of Facts and Figures, Office of Government Reports, the Division of Information in the Office for Emergency Management, and a few other agencies. OWI carried out its information program through the press, radio, motion pictures and other media. OWI was terminated on September 15, 1945.

The Committee to Defend America (also called Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, or CDAAA) and the Fight for Freedom Committee were both anti-isolationist lobbying groups founded in 1940. The Committee to Defend America was a propaganda organization based out of New York City. Its founders hoped to use the Committee to mold public opinion in favor of American assistance to Britain. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, in January 1942, the CDAAA joined with the Council for Democracy to form Citizens for Victory: To Win the War, To Win the Peace. That group disbanded the following October. The Fight for Freedom Committee was an offshoot of the Committee to Defend America, and was a proponent of full American participation in the war. It monitored closely the activities of isolationists and isolationist groups such as the America First Committee. Fight for Freedom dispersed its message through state and local branches of the organization as well as through the news media. It was dissolved in early 1942.

The Philadelphia United Service Organization (USO) was established in 1941 through a partnership of six agencies: Jewish Welfare Board (JWB), YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army, Travelers Aid, and the National Catholic Commission Services. Hospitality centers and entertainment clubs were founded throughout the city where servicemen and servicewomen could come to arrange for lodging and other services, or to enjoy free food and entertainment. One prominent club in Philadelphia was the Stage Door Canteen, located in the basement of the Academy of Music, which was the Hospital Entertainment Canteen after the war. Another popular club was the Labor Plaza, located near City Hall. Both were administered by the Philadelphia USO.

Although unaffiliated with the USO, Mrs. Louisa M. Weber, a member of St. Mark's Church in Philadelphia, similarly dedicated herself to providing comfort to servicemen. Over the course of World War II, she corresponded with over 76 servicemen.

Bibliography:

The preceding historical note was written using unattributed resources in the collection file at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Other sources consulted include:

"Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies records, Finding Aid." Princeton University Library, Mudd Manuscript Library (Accessed online on December 30, 2010: http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?id=ark:/88435/vt150j254).

"Fight for Freedom, Inc. Records…, Finding Aid." Princeton University Library, Mudd Manuscript Library (accessed online on December 30, 2010: http://diglib.princeton.edu/ead/getEad?id=ark:/88435/xd07gs69m).

Weigley, Russell F., ed. Philadelphia: A 300 Year History . New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1982.