The United War Work Campaign. November 11-18, 1918

February 7, 2022

The United War Work Campaign was a a one-week fundraising effort during World War I. At the request of President Woodrow Wilson, seven voluntary organizations — the National War Work Council of the YMCA, the War Work Council of the YWCA, the National Catholic War Council (Knights of Columbus), the Jewish Welfare Board, the War Camp Community Service, the American Library Association, and the Salvation Army sought to raise $170,500,000 in subscriptions and pledges during the week of November 11–18, 1918, to help boost American soldiers’ morale and provide them with recreational activities.

A National Publicity Committee was formed and headed by Bruce Barton, a magazine editor who chaired the YMCA’s War Work Council. Posters, lapel pins, newspaper ads, The campaign raised more than $203 million for soldier-aid programs.

This work may also be read through the Internet Archive.

For further information:

Bruce Barton letter to Meyer Brothers Druggist – September 6, 1918. Missouri Over There.

Collier, Richard, Jr. (2011). President Wilson’s United War Work Campaign. Selections from the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. Duke Magazine. Sep. – Oct. 2011.

Rockefeller, J. D., Jr. (1918). United War Work Campaign Address. Sound Recording. Library of Congress.

Roth, Miriam, Tilden, Jonathan, Stout, Sam and Bussan, Ian (2015). “For the Boys Over There” The 1918 United War Work Campaign. Hope College student researcher website.

Two Big Campaigns Coming to Raise War Funds (Aug. 29, 1918). Printers’ Ink, (104) 9, 25-27.

United War Work Campaign Wikimedia Commons.

Resources related to this topic may be found in the Social Welfare History Image Portal.