Rutgers College. War Service Bureau.

The War Service Bureau of Rutgers College, established August 20, 1917, was implemented to keep Rutgers students in contact with the college as well as with each other during World War I. Earl Reed Silvers, assistant to President William Henry Steele Demarest, served as director of the bureau from its inception until June 1919.

The War Service Bureau fulfilled a number of tasks, such as corresponding with soldiers and collecting wartime photographs and other ephemera. Silvers sent letters to Rutgers alumni serving in the armed forces at intervals ranging from one week to one month. Along with personal communications, he also sent issues of Rutgers Alumni Quarterly. In many of the letters Silvers solicited responses from the men about their experiences. Soldiers and military personnel serving overseas also received bulletins that notified eligible alumni of government job openings. After January 1918, the War Department assumed this responsibility.

The bureau also compiled and maintained records of alumni serving in the armed forces and engaged in government service during the war. In addition to retaining correspondence and records, the bureau also sought out photographs and war relics as souvenirs of the conflict.

With the signing of the Armistice in November 1918, the tasks of the War Service Bureau were greatly reduced though letters continued to be sent until June 1919. By the end of the bureau's existence, over four thousand letters were received and answered during the period of April 1917 to June 1919.

From the description of Records of the Rutgers College War Service Bureau, 1917-1919. (Rutgers University). WorldCat record id: 760975692

The War Service Bureau of Rutgers College, established August 20, 1917, was implemented to keep Rutgers students in contact with the college as well as with each other during World War I. Earl Reed Silvers, assistant to President William Henry Steele Demarest, served as director of the bureau from its inception until June 1919.

The War Service Bureau fulfilled a number of tasks, such as corresponding with soldiers and collecting wartime photographs and other ephemera. Silvers sent letters to Rutgers alumni serving in the armed forces at intervals ranging from one week to one month. Along with personal communications, he also sent issues of Rutgers Alumni Quarterly . In many of the letters Silvers solicited responses from the men about their experiences. Soldiers and military personnel serving overseas also received bulletins that notified eligible alumni of government job openings. After January 1918, the War Department assumed this responsibility.

The bureau also compiled and maintained records of alumni serving in the armed forces and engaged in government service during the war. In addition to retaining correspondence and records, the bureau also sought out photographs and war relics as souvenirs of the conflict.

With the signing of the Armistice in November 1918, the tasks of the War Service Bureau were greatly reduced though letters continued to be sent until June 1919. By the end of the bureau's existence, over four thousand letters were received and answered during the period of April 1917 to June 1919.

From the guide to the Records of the Rutgers College War Service Bureau, 1917-1919, (Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives)