WWI Pamphlets

Founded in 1844 the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) sought to provide refuge and respite for young men during Europe’s Industrial Revolution. (1) The organization built up steam over time with new branches popping up all over the globe. This exhibit contains booklets that were published by the American YMCA and sent to young American soldiers fighting overseas during World War I. These booklets were meant to inform, entertain, and keep soldiers on the moral path while they were away from home. While most were published for the YMCA this collection also contains literature published by the U.S. Chaplain and advertising companies such as those for toothpaste brand Kolynos. 

 Since its founding, the YMCA has sought to provide asylum for young men. The mission of the organization did not change even when the world was at war. The YMCA sought to strengthen the minds, bodies, and faith of the young men fighting for the Allied powers. The booklets featured in this exhibit were part of their efforts to provide entertainment, recreation, and rest for soldiers in order to boost morale in a moral manner. They were also meant to provide spiritual support to the men who encountered combat. The YMCA wanted to encourage young American soldiers to hold onto their faith in spite of all the horrors they would experience during their time fighting overseas. The booklets displayed in this virtual exhibit were provided by Tom Wright after having purchased them from the John Powers Estate Auction in Jacksonville, IL in 2020.

1. “1800-1899,” Our History, The YMCA, 2022, accessed October 28, 2022,  https://www.ymca.org/who-we-are/our-history/founding-years.