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
- Adams County
- Antelope County
- Arthur County
- Banner County
- Blaine County
- Boone County
- Box Butte County
- Boyd County
- Brown County
- Buffalo County
- Burt County
- Butler County
- Cass County
- Cedar County
- Chase County
- Cherry County
- Cheyenne County
- Clay County
- Colfax County
- Cuming County
- Custer County
- Dakota County
- Dawes County
- Dawson County
- Deuel County
- Dixon County
- Dodge County
- Douglas County
- Dundy County
Box 2
Folder
- Fillmore County
- Franklin County
- Frontier County
- Furnas County
- Gage County
- Garden County
- Garfield County
- Gosper County
- Grant County
- Greeley County
- Hall County
- Hamilton County
- Harlan County
- Hayes County
- Hitchcock County
- Holt County
- Hooker County
- Howard County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Kearney County
- Keith County
- Keya Paha County
- Kimball County
- Knox County
- Lancaster County
- Lincoln County
- Logan County
- Loup County
- McPherson County
- Madison County
- Merrick County
- Morrill County
Box 3
Folder
- Nance County
- Nemaha County
- Nuckolls County
- Otoe County
- Pawnee County
- Perkins County
- Phelps County
- Pierce County
- Platte County
- Polk County
- Red Willow County
- Richardson County
- Rock County
- Saline County
- Sarpy County
- Saunders County
- Scottsbluff County
- Seward County
- Sheridan County
- Sherman County
- Sioux County
- Stanton County
- Thayer County
- Thomas County
- Thurston County
- Valley County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Wheeler County
- York County
Box 4
Folder
- Region 1 – W.C. Fraser
- Region 2 – R.A. Johnson
- Region 3 – John T. Bressler, Jr.
- Region 4 – John F. Leroy
- Region 5 – Verne R. Taylor
- Region 6 – Harold A. Prince
- Region 7 – Marion A. Shaw
- Region 8 – Ralph A. Baker
- Region 9 – Ray Murphy
- Region 10 – L.T. Waterman
- Region 11 – F.J. Kobes
- Region 12 – John Curtiss
- Region 13 – Joseph C. Reavis
- Joint USO Community Chest Campaigns
- C.B. McIntyre Memos
- C.B. McIntyre Correspondence & Telegrams
- USO Headquarters Miscellaneous Correspondence
- Forms D & F Reported to National Headquarters
- Financial Reports to National Amounts Collected, Invoices, Petty Cash, Revolving Fund
Box 5
Folder
- USO Campaign Problems Methodists, North Platte, Braden, Grand Island
- Miscellaneous
- Statistical Material, Campaign Figures, USO Clubs, Etc.
- USO Endorsements – National & Local
- Nebraska Organization & Quotas
- Newsletters, Bulletins, Memos, from Neb. State Campaign Headquarters
Box 6
Folder
- Local Publicity from Mr. Harold Hamil
- USO Bulletins
- Bulletins
- William W. Speer Correspondence, South Dakota
- Mailing Lists
- Paid Bills
Box 7
Folder
- 1946 Press Releases (National)
- 1946 Press Releases (State)
- Publicity Clippings
- 1946 Radio
- 1946 Supplies (Samples, Distribution, Etc.)
Box 8
Folder
- National Campaign Reports
- 1946 Carl D. Ganz, Treasurer (Nebraska Committee)
- 1946 National Headquarters Correspondence
- 1946 USO Regional Conference (June 12th)
- 1946 Trustees
- 1946 Financial Reports
- Treasurer’s Letters
- 12th St. USO
- 1946 Thomas C. Woods, Chairman
- 1946 Field Man (B.F. Watson)
- 1946 Films
- 1946 Income Tax
- 1946 Miscellaneous Publicity Clippings
- 1946 County Chairmen (General)
- 1943 County & Local Chairmen for 1942 Drives Conducted by Member Agencies of War Fund
Box 9
Folder
- Church Cooperation for USO
- 1946 Endorsements and Proclamations
- 1946 Bulletins from State War Funds
- 1946 District Chairmen (General)
- 1946 Executive Committee
- Campaign Progress Report Tabulation (USO)
- Community Chest Correspondence (Except Lincoln & Omaha)
- 1946 Correspondence with Other State USO Committees
- 1946 Campaign Bulletins
- Blank Citations
Box 10
Folder
- 1946 Community Chest Bulletins
- 1946 Agreements with Chests
- (USO) Accounts Paid
- 1946 Campaign Progress Reports – State
- 1946 Bulletins & Memorandum for USO
- Community Chest Correspondence of Omaha
- 1946 USO (1942) Campaign Workers Who Have Assisted in War Fund Campaigns
- USO Omaha Campaign
- 1946 Lincoln Community Chest
- 1946 Accounts Payable
Box 11
Folder
- Adams County, District 10
- Antelope County, District 2
- Arthur County, District 5
- Banner County, District 4
- Blaine County, District 6
- Boone County, District 2
- Box Butte County, District 3
- Boyd County, District 2
- Brown County, District 8
- Buffalo County, District 6
- Burt County, District 3
- Butler County, District 7
- Cass County, District 1
- Cedar County, District 3
- Chase County, District 9
- Cherry County, District 7
- Cheyenne County, District 4
- Clay County, District 10
- Colfax County, District 7
- Cuming County, District 3
- Custer County, District 6
- Dakota County, District 3
- Dawes County, District 8
- Dawson County, District 5
- Deuel County, District 4
- Dixon County, District 3
- Dodge County, District 7
- Douglas (Rural) County, District 1
- Dundy County, District 9
- Fillmore County, District 11
- Franklin County, District 10
- Frontier County, District 9
- Furnas County, District 9
- Gage County, District 11
Box 12
Folder
- Garden County, District 4
- Garfield County, District 6
- Gosper County, District 9
- Grant County, District 4
- Greeley County, District 6
- Hall County, District 6
- Hamilton County, District 6
- Harlan County, District 10
- Hayes County, District 9
- Hitchcock County, District 9
- Holt County, District 2
- Hooker County, District 5
- Howard County, District 6
- Jefferson County, District 11
- Johnson County, District 13
- Keith County, District 5
- Kearney County, District 10
- Keya Paha County, District 8
- Kimball County, District 4
- Knox County, District 2
- Lancaster (Rural) County, District 12
- Lincoln County, District 5
- Logan County, District 5
- Loup County, District 6
- McPherson County, District 5
- Madison County, District 2
- Merrick County, District 6
- Morrill County, District 4
- Nance County, District 6
- Nemaha County, District 13
- Nuckolls County, District 10
Box 13
Folder
- Otoe County, District 12
- Pawnee County, District 13
- Perkins County, District 5
- Phelps County, District 10
- Pierce County, District 2
- Platte County, District 2
- Polk County, District 7
- Red Willow County, District 9
- Richardson County, District 13
- Rock County, District 8
- Saline County, District 11
- Sarpy County, District 1
- Saunders County, District 7
- Scotts Bluff County, District 4
- Seward County, District 12
- Sheridan County, District 8
- Sherman County, District 6
- Sioux County, District 8
- Stanton County, District 2
- Thayer County, District 11
- Thomas County, District 5
- Thurston County District 3
- Valley County, District 6
- Washington County, District 1
- Wayne County, District 3
- Webster County, District 10
- Wheeler County, District 6
- York County, District 11
- Omaha Correspondence for USO
Box 14
Folder
- Red Cross & Other Organizations
- Speakers
- Selective Service
- Treasurer’s Report Forms
- 1946 Bulletins from State USO Committees
Series 2 – Financial Records, 1946
Box 15
Folder
- USO Bank Books & Check Stubs, Accounts #1 & 2
- News clippings
- Railway Express Agency Booklets
- USO Invoices #1-30
- USO Invoices #51-100
- USO Invoices #101-150
- USO Bank Statements & Cancelled Checks
Series 3 – Printed Matter
Box 16
Folder
- Day Book & Ledger USO
- USO Publicity Publications
- “Enemy Japan”
- USO Posters
- 1946 Publicity Kits
- Community Chest Bulletins & Literature
Series 4 – Miscellaneous
Box 17
Folder
- Operation USO – Report of the President
- Letter Campaign
- USO News Service Newsletters
- Promotional Print Cards
Box 18
Folder
- 1946 Miscellaneous Bulletins
- Community Chest Bulletins and Literature (File #2)
- 1946 USO Monthly Bulletins (National)
- Community Chests & Chest Publicity
Box 19
Folder
- Junior Hostess Rule Book
- Junior Hostess Sponsor Book
- 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