Virginia War History Commission

On 7 January 1919, Governor Westmoreland Davis created the Virginia War History Commission whose goal was "to complete an accurate and complete history of Virginia's military, economic and political participation in the World War." The Commission consisted of sixteen leading citizens appointed by the governor including: Reverend Collins Denny, Brigadier General Jo Lane Stern, Adjutant General of Virginia, Douglas Southall Freeman, editor of the Richmond News-Leader, State Librarian Henry R. McIlwaine, and Colonel Charles R. Keiley, Executive Secretary of the Second Virginia Council of Defense. Arthur Kyle Davis, president of Southern Female College in Petersburg, was named chairman of the commission. The commission served without compensation and from January to September 1919 relied on the Second Virginia Council of Defense for financial support. Subsequently, on the governor's recommendation, the General Assembly appropriated $10,000 on 10 September 1919 to enable the commission to discharge its duties. Financial support was continued from 1919 to 1927 by annual appropriations.

Upon his appointment as chairman, Arthur Kyle Davis immediately implemented his plan for preserving Virginia's war records. On 6 August 1918, during the presentation of a service flag by the United Daughters of the Confederacy at the Sussex County Court House, Davis proposed that the people of each community in Virginia preserve the records and activities of their activities. Local branches of the Commission, consisting of a chairman and two associates, were established in Virginia's 100 counties and 21 cities, to collect records of their community's military and civilian activities. The Commission created a fifteen topic outline of subjects to be included in the statewide history. Some of the topics included Virginians of Distinguished Service, Virginia Churches, Economic Conditions, Red Cross and War Letters and Diaries. An editor assigned to each topic would then write the narrative. This material would then form the basis of the Commission's proposed four volume history of Virginia during the World War.

Unfortunately, poor or non-existent leadership by the local branches, apathy, and a lack of time and money hampered the Commission's collection of war records. The quantity and quality of records collected varied widely. In 1921 the Commission published four War History Supplements in the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography listing the source material collected by the local branches. Very few records were collected after 1921 and interest in the Commission's work quickly waned.

In addition to the magazine supplements, the Virginia War History Commission published seven volumes. Volumes I-IV were summaries of source material compiled by the commission. These volumes included lists of distinguished soldiers, newspaper clippings chronicling the war, a guide to war letters, diaries and editorials, and a series of sketches of civilian war agencies. Volumes V-VII were specific chronicles of Virginia wartime activities. Volumes include military unit histories and locality histories that describe the location of the communities, their resources, pre-war conditions, economic conditions, relief and institutional war work. Preliminary manuscripts for a narrative history of Virginia's role in the war were prepared as well. By June 1928 all of the source materials and manuscripts were transferred to the Virginia State Library, but, because of various difficulties, the narrative history was never published. The War History Commission submitted their last annual report to the Governor and General Assembly on 18 January 1928 and had ceased all operations by July 1928.

From the guide to the Records, 1915-1931, (Library of Virginia)