This series includes materials on a few projects not relating to World War II. The National Resources Committee was organized to compile a report on federal research
facilities. The papers here relate to a report made by the Smithsonian to include in the larger project. The National Youth Administration asked the Smithsonian for help in
preparing instructional pamphlets on topics of interest to youth and in locating pictures. The Interdepartmental Committee on Cooperation with the American Republics, a cooperative
effort among several government agencies, was designed to promote good relations with other North American countries when war broke out in Europe. The papers in this group
deal with the translation of scientific publications into Spanish and Portuguese. In 1941 an exhibit was installed in the main hall of the Smithsonian Building illustrating
the organization and research activities of the Institution. A full set of exhibit photographs are included in this series.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7386, Carl W. Mitman Papers
The Smithsonian War Committee was appointed by Secretary Charles G. Abbot in 1942, to receive suggestions, explore possibilities, and make recommendations as to
how the Smithsonian could make its scientific resources available to the military community. The Smithsonian received thousands of requests for war-related information--mostly
geographic, but also in the areas of biology, geology, physics, engineering and anthropology. Among other things, the War Committee created a detailed roster of areas of expertise
of its scientific staff, maintained a file on sources of photographs, published a series of papers on war-related topics, and co-founded the Ethnogeographic Board. Made up
of representatives of the Smithsonian, the National Research Council, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Social Sciences Research Council, the Ethnogeographic
Board acted as a clearinghouse for scientific information of use to the armed services. In May 1944, the War Committee felt that it had exhausted all possibilities of involving
the Smithsonian in the war, and was dissolved.
These papers include correspondence, recommendations and other materials relating to the projects of the War Committee. There is little material on the War Background Studies
series or the Ethnogeographic Board. Interested researchers should consult Record Unit 87 for records of the Ethnogeographic Board.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7386, Carl W. Mitman Papers
Folder 1 Correspondence, 1942-1945. Includes general correspondence of Secretary Charles G. Abbot, John Enos Graf and members of the War Committee. Topics covered include museum tours, specimen collecting by soldiers, project ideas, useful publications...
Folder 1 Recommendations of the War Committee. Topics include identification of biological specimens, special exhibits and lectures, a welcome brochure for service men, proposed War Background Studies, and extending the hours of museums.
