Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries and National Japanese American Student Council Records

Descriptive Summary

Title

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries and National Japanese American Student Council Records

Inclusive Dates

1942-1948

Call Number

RG 37

Creator(s)

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education. Division of Higher Education.

National Japanese American Student Relocation Council.

Quantity

1.25 cubic feet (2 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl. 

Materials marked “Digital” in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Administrative History

In May 1942, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a Quaker-affiliated peace and social justice organization, established the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council (NJASRC; also sometimes called the National Japanese Student Relocation Council) in response to growing concerns for the thousands of Japanese American students affected by the federal government’s incarceration and forced removal of over 120,000 Japanese American citizens and people of Japanese descent into American concentration camps at the outbreak of the United States’ declaration of war against Japan during World War II.

On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, giving the federal government the power to forcibly remove and incarcerate Japanese American citizens and people of Japanese descent from their homes on the West Coast, which was designated as a military zone, to concentration camps further inland. The federal government established the War Relocation Authority (WRA) to execute and oversee this process and to manage the concentration camps. The WRA asked the AFSC to create a national program to assist Japanese American students in concentration camps.

The objective of the NJASRC was to assist federally incarcerated Japanese American students in continuing their education. Though coordinated by the AFSC, the NJASRC was an ecumenical organization, and it had the support of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.’s (PCUSA) Board of Christian Education. Within the Board of Christian Education, the Division of Higher Education’s Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries (which was also called the Department of Colleges and the College Department) actively participated in the NJASRC’s efforts. From 1942 through 1948, the Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries helped Japanese American students enroll in colleges and universities around the country and provided financial grants and scholarships to students.

Collection Overview

This collection documents the activities of the PCUSA's involvement with the NJASRC from 1942 to 1948. Materials consist primarily of correspondence files (organized alphabetically by students' last names) relevant to the enrollment and financial support of Japanese American students in colleges and universities. These correspondence files document communications between the PCUSA’s Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries, the NJASRC, representatives of participating colleges and universities, and Japanese American students. Included in the correspondence files are applications, biographical information about Japanese American students, and certificates of financial aid. Of note are letters from Japanese American students, including thank you letters. Also included are the minutes of the NJASRC (1942-1946).

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl.

Materials marked “Digital” in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Board of Christian Education, 1966.

Processing Information

Processed in 1969.

Collection guide revised in August 2001.

Collection rehoused and collection guide (Collection Inventory) edited in 2023 by Nicholas Skaggs, Processing Archivist, and Allison Davis, Digital Collections Specialist.

Collection guide revised in June 2023 by Nicholas Skaggs, Allison Davis, and Elaine Shilstut to address outdated or harmful descriptive language. During that revision, description was changed in Biographical Note / Administrative History, Collection Overview, and Catalog Headings. Uses of “relocation centers” and “internment” in description were removed and replaced with community recommended/currently accepted terminology in 2023, such as “forced removal” and “concentration camps.” Additional historical contextual information was added. A local subject heading was added to supplement the Library of Congress Subject Heading "Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945" with "Forced removal and incarceration, 1942-1945". The use of the term “incarceration” in the supplementary heading is intended to better reflect accepted community terminology.

Previous versions of this collection guide are available. Citations to resources used and consulted during the revision process are also available. Please contact the Presbyterian Historical Society for details.

Preferred Citation

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries and National Japanese American Student Council Records, RG 37, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Corporate Subject

American Friends Service Committee.

National Japanese American Student Relocation Council.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.--Missions--United States.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education. Division of Higher Education.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of National Missions.

Topical Subject

Japanese American college students--History--20th century.

Japanese Americans--Education (Higher)--History--20th century.

Japanese Americans--Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945.

Japanese Americans--Forced removal and incarceration, 1942-1945. local

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Minutes (administrative records) aat

Corporate Added Name

National Japanese American Student Relocation Council.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

1	1	Minutes - National Japanese American Student Relocation Council (NJASRC), 1942-1946

		Correspondence Regarding Japanese American Students
1	2	Correspondence - A-D, 1943-1946
1	3	Correspondence - E-H, 1943-1946
1	4	Correspondence - E-H, 1943-1948
1	5-6	Correspondence - I-L, 1943-1947
1	7-8	Correspondence - K, 1943-1946
1	9-10	Correspondence - M-P, 1943-1946
1	11	Correspondence - 0-P, 1943-1946
1	12-13	Correspondence - Q-T, 1943-1945
1	14	Correspondence - Q-T, 1943-1948
1	15	Correspondence - U-Z, 1943-1946

1	16	Correspondence - Gordon K. Chapman, Field Representative for Japanese Work (Board of National Missions), 1943-1946	Digital
1	17-18	Correspondence - Elizabeth B. Emlen, Financial Advisor (NJASRC), 1943-1945

2	1	Correspondence - Ann M. Graybill, Director (NJASRC) 1945-1946
2	2	Correspondence - Thomas B. Foster, Jr. (War Service Unit, Board of National Missions), 1943-1948
2	3	Correspondence regarding grants for assistance, 1943-1946
2	4-5	Correspondence regarding scholarships, 1942-1946
2	6-7	Correspondence - General [includes reports and minutes], circa 1942-1947

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Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Department of Colleges and Theological Seminaries and National Japanese American Student Council Records

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