Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
National League for Woman's Service of Pierce County Records
Date(s)
Extent
2 boxes
(.6 cubic feet)
Name of creator
Biographical history
The object of the National League for Woman’s Service was “to coordinate and standardize the work of women of America along lines of Constructive Patriotism, to develop the resources and to promote the efficiency of women in meeting their every-day responsibilities to Home, to State, to Nation and to Humanity; to cooperate with the Red Cross and other agencies in meeting any calamity-fire, flood, famine, economic disorder, etc. And in time of war to supplement the work of the Red Cross, the Army and navy, and to deal with questions of women’s work and women’s welfare.” [1] This league was created when the United States began to enter into World War I in early 1917, with the Tacoma Daily Ledger reporting on March 29, 1917, that “this emergency organization has been formed as the result of the bitter experience of European nation in the present terrific struggle. Germany had already carefully cataloged the industrial strength of her women and had little difficulty in making the necessary rearrangement which freed thousands of men from industry.” [2]
The Tacoma Daily Ledger reported on May 6, 1917 that 800 women had signed up for service, quoting the State Vice Chairman for the league in explaining, “this National League for Women’s Service means right now simply an opportunity for American Women to show their patriotism in tangible form.” [3]
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Contains the registration forms for Pierce County women residents signing up to volunteer for national service. The forms range from April-May 1917 and are arranged numerically by form number from numbers 0-1247. The forms contain some biographical information about the registered women including their age, address, amount of schooling received, current occupation, and the nationality of their parents. Additionally, there is a list of services needed that women can denote interest or experience in, some examples are Social Club Work, Cooking, Gardening, Industrial Shops or Factories, Medical and Nursing, Motor Driving, and Clerical work.