'Iolani School Archives: WWI

World War I in ’Iolani School Archives

Overview

World War I, or the Great War, lasted from 1914 to 1918. Among other notable events, it is known for advancement in military technology and unprecedented loss. After initially remaining neutral, the United States fought as part of the Allied Powers beginning in 1917. Those enlisted in military service included a number of ’Iolani School faculty and students.

Collections

• Thomas Pierce Rogers Collection
  Adding to the richness of archival holdings are scrapbooks created by faculty members during their tenure at ’Iolani School. Two scrapbooks capture life in 1917 to 1918 through photographs and narrative.

  "Once we had a camp on Kauai. You see we were at war with Germany and so needed very much sugar. Most of the men having gone to fight we decided to take their place, so we joined the U.S. Boy's Working Reserve..."
  (Rogers scrapbook, August 1917- October 1918)

• Father Bray Collection
  The Bray Collection includes four, 8 in. by 23 in. frames with sketches and remarks created by Fr. Bray of his observations during his time in France as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces, circa 1917 to 1918, prior to his term of employment with ’Iolani School.

Other resources in the ’Iolani School Archives

• Villers, Ernest G. A History of Iolani School. June 1940.
  Faculty member Mr. Villers wrote a history of the beginnings of ’Iolani School as a master's thesis. Life at the school from 1913 to 1920 is covered in "Chapter V: Iolani Under American Direction" on pages 96 - 108 including a list of students and teachers involved in military service.

Related Online Collections

• Records of the American Expeditionary Forces (World War I)
  National Archives and Records Administration, Records of Divisions, 1917-1920, RG 120
  National Archives Identifier: 301641
  Personal narratives written by WWI servicemen after their return from the front.
  "This series consists of unit histories, station lists, operations reports, messages, field orders, correspondence, general orders, special orders, bulletins, and memorandums that document the service of each American Expeditionary Forces combat division during its participation in World War I." A description of this record series can be found here.
• Hawaiian Church Chronicle
  Digitized through eVols at UH Manoa. See Episcopal life in issues published during the war years including reports about church schools; a position piece on the war in the August 1914 edition; and comments about the Allied victory in the November 1918 edition.
• Hawai’i State Archives, Digital Collections, Photograph Collection
  Type the call number in the left search box for partial holdings of photographs for:
  PARADES: Armistice Day (call no. PP-62-12)
  PARADES: Liberty Day, 1918, Liberty/Victory Loan (call no. PP-64-3)
• "World War I," DocsTeach
  Primary sources by topic and teaching activities.
• National WWI Museum and Memorial
  "The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it."
  • National WWI Museum and Memorial | Online Collections Database
    Digitized items from the museum's collection.
  • National WWI Museum and Memorial YouTube Channel
    Includes various lecture series, and original footage from the war era.
• Veterans History Project Collection, Library of Congress American Folklife Center
  "The Veterans History Project (VHP) of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand narratives of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. Since 2000, VHP has preserved thousands of individual veterans’ collections, which offer users an unparalleled archive of primary source material."

Related Archival Collections Beyond ’Iolani

• "World War I Centennial," National Archives and Records Administration
  World War I subtopics, timeline, and more.
• "Military Resources: World War I," National Archives and Records Administration
  Listing of NARA and other resources.
• "World War I Draft Registration Cards," National Archives and Records Administration
  Historical background and a description of the collection.
• "World War I," Library of Congress
  A portal to resources by collection or format; teacher resources; and more.
• "A Guide to World War I Materials," Web Guides, Library of Congress
  "This guide compiles links to World War I resources throughout the Library of Congress Web site."
• National WWI Museum and Memorial
  "The National WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s only museum dedicated to sharing the stories of the Great War through the eyes of those who lived it."

Subject guide compiled by Georgina Tom, Archivist, 2017; updated 2021.

Explore primary sources on the DocsTeach WWI pages.

View by various topics, including American Expeditionary Forces in which 'Iolani School's own Father Bray was deployed.
Other topics include:
WWI Posters
Women in WWI
The Homefront
Liberty Loans
Food Conservation
The 1918 Flu Pandemic
Personal War Experiences
"Enemy Aliens"
Trench Warfare
Draft Cards
Soldiers

Selections from the National Archives' collection of films documenting World War I are available:

Imperial War Museums, United Kingdom
"IWM is a global authority on conflict and its impact on people’s lives. We collect objects and stories that give an insight into people’s experiences of war, preserve them for future generations, and bring them to today’s audiences in the most powerful way possible. Our family of five museums uncover the causes, course and consequences of war, from the First World War through to present-day conflict."