Civilian Public Service

Overview The roots of the NCCO began shortly after conscription in WWII was instituted. Little is known about the New York Office of the NCCO. It was headquartered at 31 Union Square West in New York City (NY) where the ACLU had its offices, and was likely set up in 1940, under the chairmanship of Norman Angell, and stayed in existence through 1945. In Washington (DC), the Temporary Committee for Legal Aid to Conscientious Objectors was formed in 1940. R. Boland Brooks had gone to NSBRO (National...

Overview Organized to provide alternative service for conscientious objectors, who were assigned "work of national importance under civilian direction; the historic peace churches (Church of the Brethren, Religious Society of Friends and the Mennonite Church) band ed together to form the National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NISBRO) which coordinated the civilian public service (CPS) program; the American Friends Service Committee administered seventeen CPS camps and over thirty special...

Overview

Organization still in existence that was formed to aid conscientious objectors in World War II.

Abstract

The Federal Council of Churches organized its Committee on the Conscientious Objector under its Department of International Justice and Goodwill in 1941. The Committee was interested in all aspects of conscientious objection, especially religious life in Civilian Public Service camps. Among the Committee's projects was the organizing of a program of visitation to CPS camps.

Abstract

The Fellowship of Reconciliation in the U.S. was founded in 1915 by Christian pacifists. The organization, whose members are now drawn from many religious groups, seeks to apply principles of peace and social justice and non-violent social change to issues such as disarmament, conscription, race relations, economic justice, and civil liberties.

Overview

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) was formed when representatives of various Mennonite conferences met July 27-28, 1920, in Elkhart (Indiana), and pledged to aid hungry people, including Mennonites, in Russia and Ukraine.Since then thousands have served with MCC worldwide on relief, peace and development projects.

Abstract

The Metropolitan Board for Conscientious Objectors was a non-sectarian, free advisory service for conscientious objectors to war and military service. The MBCO was set up to provide counseling and legal aid in metropolitan New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and established by the United Pacifist Committee in 1940. The group disbanded in 1980.

Overview Norman Jehiel Whitney (1891-1967) was a Quaker teacher, writer and devoted peace worker. From 1919-1957 he helped establish, and directed for many years, the Syracuse Peace Council. He left Syracuse in 1957 to work for the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in peace education. Whitney's major peace work was in the area of counseling conscientious objectors to war (COs), particularly those in Civilian Public Service (CPS) camps. In 1941 he helped establish the New York State Board for...

Overview

This collection is primarily correspondence to and from Conrad Wilson during his time as a conscientious objector during World War II. His mom encouraged him to save his letters from her, and she saved all the letters he sent. Included in the letters from his mother are photostat letters from Conrad.