Research: Military: They Also Served
They Also Served --- Series Descriptions
Office of Physical Fitness
A4366. Director's Administrative Correspondence, 1942-1945. 0.6 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by name of correspondent.
This series contains correspondence between the director of the Office of Physical Fitness, Hiram A. Jones, and schools and public and private organizations involved with the State Physical Fitness Program. The correspondence documents Jones's efforts to direct and administer the program's daily operations. Issues covered include pamphlet and film distribution; requests for physical fitness certificates and suggestions for the program; local committee activities; and personnel and administrative issues.
A4369. Director's Program Administration Subject Files, 1940-1945. 4 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by topic.
This series contains correspondence, form letters, expense account forms, address lists, manuals, minutes, annual and monthly reports, and field reports documenting the activities of the Office of Physical Fitness and the director's administration of its various programs. While some of the records document office routine (office expenses or expenses for outside help, time schedules), the bulk relates to its programs encouraging physical fitness. Materials found include meeting minutes of the Office of Physical Fitness, staff conferences, the finance committee, or the War Council; correspondence with related agencies about fitness and health; reports from field representatives; annual reports for the office from 1940-1944; correspondence and reports from regional supervisors; press releases describing program initiatives or appointments; form letters to or about schools and principals, certificate requisition, directors of physical fitness programs, physical fitness films, equipment acquisition and program changes, or state agencies in war programs; and certificate cards for various activities (obstacle course, swimming, etc.). Also found are program manuals, either in manuscript form, final printed form, or both.
Finding aids: Folder list.
A4371. Director's Office Administration Files, 1942-1945. 1 cu. ft.
Arrangement: By topic.
This series is comprised primarily of correspondence between Office of Physical Fitness Director Hiram A. Jones and staff members or other individuals and organizations that reveals Jones's actions in directing the daily routines of the office and its programs. This series includes letters from schools and other organizations interested in physical fitness to which Jones usually directed others to respond. These letters typically requested pamphlets, information, or clarification regarding programs, or gave thanks for program assistance. The series also includes records revealing weekly schedules of the field representatives, including name, week, each day's activities, and its purpose; schedules, time records, and correspondence regarding office staff members; and minor financial records concerning expense refunds and travel arrangements. Also found in this series is a slim folder of supplemental field reports from Ethel Kohlberg, the supervisor of the Women's Industrial Program, that documents issues and problems women faced in war industries.
A4370. Deputy Director's Program Supervision Files, 1942-1945. 1.6 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by topic.
This series contains correspondence, memoranda, press releases, manuscripts, and reports documenting the supervisory role of Francis J. Moench, the deputy director of the Office of Physical Fitness. Working in conjunction with Director Hiram A. Jones, Moench oversaw the field representatives and worked closely with field program organizers. This series includes correspondence between Moench and field representatives detailing programs with war plant athletic leagues and high school certificate awards and activities; papers presented by Moench at conferences around the State on aspects of the physical fitness program; manuscripts of leaflets about physical fitness produced by the office; carbon copies of Director Jones's correspondence, memoranda, and work plans; index card placards and health charts; correspondence and memoranda between field program organizers, particularly E. Patricia Hagman; small amounts of correspondence from other organizations involved in physical fitness issues such as the Selective Service, the Women's Land Army, sokols (ethnic physical fitness organizations), and other War Council agencies; and press releases about program initiatives and progress.
Finding aids: Folder list.
A4367. Supervisory and Assistance Correspondence with Schools and State and Local War Council Agencies, 1942-1945. 1.6 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Organized into two subseries: Subseries 1, Deputy Director's Correspondence with Schools, 1943-1945, 1 cu. ft., is arranged by topic. Subseries 2, Director's Program Development Correspondence with State and Local War Council Agencies, 1942-1945, 0.6 cu. ft., is alphabetical by city or county war council.
This series contains correspondence detailing the supervision and assistance of the State Physical Fitness Program by the Office of Physical Fitness. Also found are instruction manuals, meeting minutes, newspaper clippings, and reports. Much of the correspondence is routine requests for pamphlets, films, or information on the program's obstacle course. Some letters detail problems with gas rationing or program choice in some school districts and reveal Deputy Director Moench's attempts to assist with problems as part of his duties to facilitate the program. Also found in this series are a small number of meeting minutes of the Office of Physical Fitness; instruction manuals for instructors of "women and girls"; instruction manuals for water sports, team sports, and track and field; some correspondence between Moench and local war councils; and form letters sent to local war councils and others participating in the Physical Fitness Program regarding topics such as manual availability or changes in training procedures. This series also contains correspondence between the director of the Office of Physical Fitness and organizations involved in the physical fitness program detailing the director's supervisory duties. Many letters notify the director of appointments made to local physical fitness leadership positions, while others seek advice or assistance in obtaining publications or other materials. A large number of files contain a copy of a letter from Director Hiram A. Jones to the local councils soliciting their opinions on the nature of the office's mission and its provision of services. Few responses to this letter are found in this series, though a small number of letters detailing problems with the overall program are found. Individual files may contain bulletins, reports, schedules, or newspaper clippings documenting local war councils' physical fitness activities.
A4368. Field Representatives' Reports and Support Materials, 1942- 1945. 2 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by topic.
This series contains correspondence, field reports, and pamphlet distribution lists held by the office's director as part of his role to supervise and assist the office's field representatives as they promoted, developed, and assisted the Physical Fitness Program. While much of the material relates to routine office administration, several folders contain field reports or supplemental field reports from field representatives. The field representatives' reports provide city or county; date; field representative's name; agency; names and titles (if any) of persons interviewed; number of children participating, divided by gender and sometimes age; number of persons involved in the program; reason for the field trip; and observations (in supplemental field reports) of the number of playgrounds, number of supervisors, source(s) of financing, and number of teams and types of activities. While most field reports are written on standardized forms, some are in narrative form.
Finding aids: Folder list.
A4306. New York City Regional Office Administration and Correspondence Files, 1942-1945. 1.6 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by subject.
This series contains correspondence, pamphlets, and other materials documenting the activities which promoted physical fitness in one region supervised by the Office of Physical Fitness (OPF). The records of New York City Regional Supervisor Boris Von Arnold and Ethel T. Kohlberg, Principal Supervisor, Women's Industrial Program, constitute the bulk of this series. This series contains correspondence between the regional office and war industry companies such as Grumman, Curtiss-Wright, and Bristol-Myers, in addition to sports organizations such as the Police Athletic League, YMCA, YWCA, and summer youth camps about fitness programs and athletic leagues within their organizations; pamphlets from federal agencies concerning physical fitness; requests for OPF pamphlets and certificates; correspondence with OPF Director Hiram A. Jones; and routine office matters such as expenses and supply inventories. Information on women's exercises and activities is featured throughout the series resulting from Ethel Kohlberg's visits to defense plants to promote, organize, and assist physical fitness and exercise programs for women defense workers.
Finding aids: Folder list.
A4363. Requisitions for State Physical Fitness Certificates, 1943- 1946. 3 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by county, then arranged by school.
This series contains requisition forms from junior and senior high schools to the Office of Physical Fitness listing the names of the students who should receive physical fitness certificates. Information regarding male and female students' abilities in various sports and activities such as gymnastics, track and field events, and water sports is recorded.
A4364. Newspaper Clippings, 1942-1943. 2 cu. ft.
Arrangement: Chronological by week.
This series contains clippings from newspapers from around the State documenting the office's many individual programs. Programs and topics detailed include track and field, football, basketball, water safety, health examinations, and athletic insurance. Typical clippings discuss the preparation or execution of events or programs held around the state
