United Service Organization (Neb.) [RG1331.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG1331.AM:  United Service Organization (Nebraska)

Records:  1942-1946
Nebraska:  Service organization
Size:  9.5 cu.ft.; 19 boxes

BACKGROUND NOTE

The national United Service Organization (USO) was organized on April 17, 1941. It was created to serve the religious, spiritual, and educational needs of the men and women in the armed forces. USO clubs were to be financed by the public through voluntary contributions. During the war, volunteers, mostly women, organized USO clubs throughout Nebraska. USO clubs sponsored a variety of activities for service personnel that included dances, sporting events, and dinners in the homes of local families.

The flag of the National War Fund often hung in USO clubs. Because there were so many agencies seeking funds during the war, the government created the National War Fund. It was based on the idea of a Community Chest, consolidating many causes in one large fund drive. To receive funds an agency had to be approved as being essential to the war effort by the president’s War Relief Control Board. The USO received nearly half of the money collected by the National War Fund in 1944.

Locally, the Lincolnettes, an organization of young women from Lincoln, served as partners and hostesses in recreational activities for service men stationed in Lincoln.

Note:  This Background Note was taken from the Nebraska Studies website.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

This collection consists of records documenting the activities of the United Service Organization in Nebraska. The material in this collection is divided into four series: (1) Correspondence, 1942-1946; (2) Financial Records, 1946; (3) Printed Material; and (4) Miscellaneous.

Note:  The photo component for this collection [RG1331.PH] contains various photographs and negatives relating to the USO in Nebraska. Ask a staff member for assistance with the photos. For related materials held by History Nebraska, see the bottom of this page.

INVENTORY

Series 1 – Correspondence, 1942-1946
Box 1
Folder

  1. Adams County
  2. Antelope County
  3. Arthur County
  4. Banner County
  5. Blaine County
  6. Boone County
  7. Box Butte County
  8. Boyd County
  9. Brown County
  10. Buffalo County
  11. Burt County
  12. Butler County
  13. Cass County
  14. Cedar County
  15. Chase County
  16. Cherry County
  17. Cheyenne County
  18. Clay County
  19. Colfax County
  20. Cuming County
  21. Custer County
  22. Dakota County
  23. Dawes County
  24. Dawson County
  25. Deuel County
  26. Dixon County
  27. Dodge County
  28. Douglas County
  29. Dundy County

Box 2
Folder

  1. Fillmore County
  2. Franklin County
  3. Frontier County
  4. Furnas County
  5. Gage County
  6. Garden County
  7. Garfield County
  8. Gosper County
  9. Grant County
  10. Greeley County
  11. Hall County
  12. Hamilton County
  13. Harlan County
  14. Hayes County
  15. Hitchcock County
  16. Holt County
  17. Hooker County
  18. Howard County
  19. Jefferson County
  20. Johnson County
  21. Kearney County
  22. Keith County
  23. Keya Paha County
  24. Kimball County
  25. Knox County
  26. Lancaster County
  27. Lincoln County
  28. Logan County
  29. Loup County
  30. McPherson County
  31. Madison County
  32. Merrick County
  33. Morrill County

Box 3
Folder

  1. Nance County
  2. Nemaha County
  3. Nuckolls County
  4. Otoe County
  5. Pawnee County
  6. Perkins County
  7. Phelps County
  8. Pierce County
  9. Platte County
  10. Polk County
  11. Red Willow County
  12. Richardson County
  13. Rock County
  14. Saline County
  15. Sarpy County
  16. Saunders County
  17. Scottsbluff County
  18. Seward County
  19. Sheridan County
  20. Sherman County
  21. Sioux County
  22. Stanton County
  23. Thayer County
  24. Thomas County
  25. Thurston County
  26. Valley County
  27. Washington County
  28. Wayne County
  29. Webster County
  30. Wheeler County
  31. York County

Box 4
Folder

  1. Region 1 – W.C. Fraser
  2. Region 2 – R.A. Johnson
  3. Region 3 – John T. Bressler, Jr.
  4. Region 4 – John F. Leroy
  5. Region 5 – Verne R. Taylor
  6. Region 6 – Harold A. Prince
  7. Region 7 – Marion A. Shaw
  8. Region 8 – Ralph A. Baker
  9. Region 9 – Ray Murphy
  10. Region 10 – L.T. Waterman
  11. Region 11 – F.J. Kobes
  12. Region 12 – John Curtiss
  13. Region 13 – Joseph C. Reavis
  14. Joint USO Community Chest Campaigns
  15. C.B. McIntyre Memos
  16. C.B. McIntyre Correspondence & Telegrams
  17. USO Headquarters Miscellaneous Correspondence
  18. Forms D & F Reported to National Headquarters
  19. Financial Reports to National Amounts Collected, Invoices, Petty Cash, Revolving Fund

Box 5
Folder

  1. USO Campaign Problems Methodists, North Platte, Braden, Grand Island
  2. Miscellaneous
  3. Statistical Material, Campaign Figures, USO Clubs, Etc.
  4. USO Endorsements – National & Local
  5. Nebraska Organization & Quotas
  6. Newsletters, Bulletins, Memos, from Neb. State Campaign Headquarters

Box 6
Folder

  1. Local Publicity from Mr. Harold Hamil
  2. USO Bulletins
  3. Bulletins
  4. William W. Speer Correspondence, South Dakota
  5. Mailing Lists
  6. Paid Bills

Box 7
Folder

  1. 1946 Press Releases (National)
  2. 1946 Press Releases (State)
  3. Publicity Clippings
  4. 1946 Radio
  5. 1946 Supplies (Samples, Distribution, Etc.)

Box 8
Folder

  1. National Campaign Reports
  2. 1946 Carl D. Ganz, Treasurer (Nebraska Committee)
  3. 1946 National Headquarters Correspondence
  4. 1946 USO Regional Conference (June 12th)
  5. 1946 Trustees
  6. 1946 Financial Reports
  7. Treasurer’s Letters
  8. 12th St. USO
  9. 1946 Thomas C. Woods, Chairman
  10. 1946 Field Man (B.F. Watson)
  11. 1946 Films
  12. 1946 Income Tax
  13. 1946 Miscellaneous Publicity Clippings
  14. 1946 County Chairmen (General)
  15. 1943 County & Local Chairmen for 1942 Drives Conducted by Member Agencies of War Fund

Box 9
Folder

  1. Church Cooperation for USO
  2. 1946 Endorsements and Proclamations
  3. 1946 Bulletins from State War Funds
  4. 1946 District Chairmen (General)
  5. 1946 Executive Committee
  6. Campaign Progress Report Tabulation (USO)
  7. Community Chest Correspondence (Except Lincoln & Omaha)
  8. 1946 Correspondence with Other State USO Committees
  9. 1946 Campaign Bulletins
  10. Blank Citations

Box 10
Folder

  1. 1946 Community Chest Bulletins
  2. 1946 Agreements with Chests
  3. (USO) Accounts Paid
  4. 1946 Campaign Progress Reports – State
  5. 1946 Bulletins & Memorandum for USO
  6. Community Chest Correspondence of Omaha
  7. 1946 USO (1942) Campaign Workers Who Have Assisted in War Fund Campaigns
  8. USO Omaha Campaign
  9. 1946 Lincoln Community Chest
  10. 1946 Accounts Payable

Box 11
Folder

  1. Adams County, District 10
  2. Antelope County, District 2
  3. Arthur County, District 5
  4. Banner County, District 4
  5. Blaine County, District 6
  6. Boone County, District 2
  7. Box Butte County, District 3
  8. Boyd County, District 2
  9. Brown County, District 8
  10. Buffalo County, District 6
  11. Burt County, District 3
  12. Butler County, District 7
  13. Cass County, District 1
  14. Cedar County, District 3
  15. Chase County, District 9
  16. Cherry County, District 7
  17. Cheyenne County, District 4
  18. Clay County, District 10
  19. Colfax County, District 7
  20. Cuming County, District 3
  21. Custer County, District 6
  22. Dakota County, District 3
  23. Dawes County, District 8
  24. Dawson County, District 5
  25. Deuel County, District 4
  26. Dixon County, District 3
  27. Dodge County, District 7
  28. Douglas (Rural) County, District 1
  29. Dundy County, District 9
  30. Fillmore County, District 11
  31. Franklin County, District 10
  32. Frontier County, District 9
  33. Furnas County, District 9
  34. Gage County, District 11

Box 12
Folder

  1. Garden County, District 4
  2. Garfield County, District 6
  3. Gosper County, District 9
  4. Grant County, District 4
  5. Greeley County, District 6
  6. Hall County, District 6
  7. Hamilton County, District 6
  8. Harlan County, District 10
  9. Hayes County, District 9
  10. Hitchcock County, District 9
  11. Holt County, District 2
  12. Hooker County, District 5
  13. Howard County, District 6
  14. Jefferson County, District 11
  15. Johnson County, District 13
  16. Keith County, District 5
  17. Kearney County, District 10
  18. Keya Paha County, District 8
  19. Kimball County, District 4
  20. Knox County, District 2
  21. Lancaster (Rural) County, District 12
  22. Lincoln County, District 5
  23. Logan County, District 5
  24. Loup County, District 6
  25. McPherson County, District 5
  26. Madison County, District 2
  27. Merrick County, District 6
  28. Morrill County, District 4
  29. Nance County, District 6
  30. Nemaha County, District 13
  31. Nuckolls County, District 10

Box 13
Folder

  1. Otoe County, District 12
  2. Pawnee County, District 13
  3. Perkins County, District 5
  4. Phelps County, District 10
  5. Pierce County, District 2
  6. Platte County, District 2
  7. Polk County, District 7
  8. Red Willow County, District 9
  9. Richardson County, District 13
  10. Rock County, District 8
  11. Saline County, District 11
  12. Sarpy County, District 1
  13. Saunders County, District 7
  14. Scotts Bluff County, District 4
  15. Seward County, District 12
  16. Sheridan County, District 8
  17. Sherman County, District 6
  18. Sioux County, District 8
  19. Stanton County, District 2
  20. Thayer County, District 11
  21. Thomas County, District 5
  22. Thurston County District 3
  23. Valley County, District 6
  24. Washington County, District 1
  25. Wayne County, District 3
  26. Webster County, District 10
  27. Wheeler County, District 6
  28. York County, District 11
  29. Omaha Correspondence for USO

Box 14
Folder

  1. Red Cross & Other Organizations
  2. Speakers
  3. Selective Service
  4. Treasurer’s Report Forms
  5. 1946 Bulletins from State USO Committees

Series 2 – Financial Records, 1946
Box 15
Folder

  1. USO Bank Books & Check Stubs, Accounts #1 & 2
  2. News clippings
  3. Railway Express Agency Booklets
  4. USO Invoices #1-30
  5. USO Invoices #51-100
  6. USO Invoices #101-150
  7. USO Bank Statements & Cancelled Checks

Series 3 – Printed Matter
Box 16
Folder

  1. Day Book & Ledger USO
  2. USO Publicity Publications
  3. “Enemy Japan”
  4. USO Posters
  5. 1946 Publicity Kits
  6. Community Chest Bulletins & Literature

Series 4 – Miscellaneous
Box 17
Folder

  1. Operation USO – Report of the President
  2. Letter Campaign
  3. USO News Service Newsletters
  4. Promotional Print Cards

Box 18
Folder

  1. 1946 Miscellaneous Bulletins
  2. Community Chest Bulletins and Literature (File #2)
  3. 1946 USO Monthly Bulletins (National)
  4. Community Chests & Chest Publicity

Box 19
Folder

  1. Junior Hostess Rule Book
  2. Junior Hostess Sponsor Book
  3. Restaurant Certificate of Registration & Tobacco License for Lincoln USO Club

Subject headings:

Soldiers — Recreation
United Service Organizations (Neb.)
United States. Army — Service clubs
United States. Army — World War, 1939-1945


RELATED MATERIALS

See RG3262 for records relating to the United War Fund of Nebraska.
See the papers of Fred Cowgill Williams [RG2823] for additional information about the USO and the United War Fund in Nebraska.
See RG1182 for records relating to the Lincolnettes organization.
See the Library collections for published materials about the USO in Nebraska.
See the Nebraska Newspaper Index for various articles about the USO in Nebraska.


Revised 12-20-2007   TMM

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