WORLD WAR I SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DRAFT …

[Pages:167]Publication Number: M-1509

Publication Title: World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards

Date Published: n.d.

WORLD WAR I SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM DRAFT REGISTRATION CARDS

On May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act was passed authorizing the President to increase temporarily the military establishment of the United States. The Selective Service System, under the office of the Provost Marshal General, was responsible for the process of selecting men for induction into the military service, from the initial registration to the actual delivery of men to military training camps.

The Selective Service System was one of "supervised decentralization." The office of the Provost Marshal General in Washington was responsible for formulating policy and transmitting it to the governors of the 48 states, the territories of Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Under the administration of the PMGO, it was the states, territories, and the District of Columbia which managed the operation of drafting men for military service in World War I.

Under the office of the Provost Marshal General, the Selective Service System was made up of 52 state (or territory) offices, 155 district boards, 1319 medical advisory boards, and 4648 local boards. These organizations were responsible for registering men, classifying them, taking into consideration needs for manpower in certain industries and in agriculture, as well as certain special family situations of the registrants; handling any appeals of these classifications; determining the medical fitness of individual registrants; determining the order in which registrants would be called; calling registrants; and placing them on trains to training centers.

The President established district boards, one or more for each Federal Judicial District. The average district board had jurisdiction over approximately 30 local boards, each with an average registration of 5000 men. The district boards had appellate jurisdiction over the decision of local boards in some claims and original jurisdiction in others.

Local boards were established for each county or similar subdivision in each state, and for each 30,000 persons (approximately) in each city or county with a population over 30,000. The local boards were charged with the registration, determination of order, and serial numbers, classification, call, and entrainment of draftees.

During World War I there were three registrations. The first, on June 5, 1917, was for all men between the ages of 21 and 31. The second, on June 5, 1918, registered those who attained age 21 after June 5, 1917. (A supplemental registration was held on August 24, 1918, for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.) The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, for men age 18 through 45.

The information included on each registration differs somewhat, but the general information shown includes order and serial numbers (assigned by the Selective Service System), full name, date and place of birth, race, citizenship, occupation, personal description, and signature.

The registration cards consist of approximately 24,000,000 cards of men who registered for the draft (about 23% of the population in 1918). It is important to note that not all of the men who registered for the draft actually served in the military, and not all men who served in the military registered for the draft.

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Moreover, these are not military service records. They end when an individual reports to the army training camp. They contain no information about an individual's military service.

After the signing of the armistice of November 11, 1918, the activities of the Selective Service System were rapidly curtailed. On March 31, 1919, all local, district, and medical advisory boards were closed, and on May 21, 1919, the last state headquarters closed operations. The Provost Marshal General was relieved from duty on July 15, 1919, thereby finally terminating the activities of the Selective Service System of World War I.

The records are arranged alphabetically by state, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia; thereunder alphabetically by county or city (except for Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, which are arranged by divisions and counties); thereunder alphabetically by name of registrants.

In rural areas one should be able to find a registrant's card knowing his name and the county in which he registered. For large cities and in some larger counties, the search could be more difficult. In New York City, for instance, there were 189 local boards. Microfilm publication M1860, Boundary Maps of Selected Cities and Counties of World War I Selective Service Draft Registration Boards, 1917-1918 may of some assistance in narrowing down the problem to the appropriate board.

Related records include Classification Lists or Docket Books maintained by local boards to show the process of classification, physical examination, claim for exemption or discharge from the draft, and the appeal process for each registrant. Each local board also maintained lists of men ordered to report to the board for induction. These show (for each individual ordered to report) the name, mobilization camp to which he was to report and the date he was to report, and the certification of officials of the mobilization camp that the man had (or had not) reported as ordered.

There are also records of the appeals process, and records relating to American registrants living abroad and aliens living in the United States.

CONTENTS

Roll

Description

AL1

Alabama

Autauga County; A-Z

Baldwin County; A-Hubbart

AL2

Baldwin County; H-Z

Barbour County; A-L

AL3

Barbour County; L-Z

Bibb County; A-L

AL4

Bibb County; L-Z

Birmingham City # 1; A-H

AL5

Birmingham City # 1; H-Z

Birmingham City # 2; A-B

AL6

Birmingham City # 2; B-L

AL7

Birmingham City # 2; L-Z

Birmingham City # 3; A-B

AL8

Birmingham City # 3; B-L

AL9

Birmingham City # 3; L-Z

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AL10 AL11 AL12 AL13 AL14 AL15 AL16 AL17 AL18 AL19 AL20 AL21 AL22 AL23 AL24 AL25 AL26 AL27 AL28 AL29 AL30 AL31 AL32 AL33 AL34 AL35 AL36 AL37

Birmingham City # 4; A-T Birmingham City # 4; T-Z Birmingham City # 5; A-K Birmingham City # 5; K-Z Birmingham City # 6; A-C Birmingham City # 6; C-Z Blount County; A-B Blount County; B-Z Bullock County; A-B Bullock County; C-Z Butler County; A-J Butler County; J-Z Calhoun County; A-E Calhoun County; E-S Calhoun County; S-Z Chambers County; A-H Chambers County; H-Z Cherokee County; A-D Cherokee County; D-Z Chilton County; A-M Chilton County; M-Z Choctaw County; A-W Choctaw County; W-Z Clarke County; A-Z Clay County; A-Z Cleburne County; A-Z Coffee County; A-L Coffee County; L-Z Colbert County; A-H Colbert County; H-Z Conecuh County; A-D Conecuh County; D-Z Coosa County; A-S Coosa County; S-Z Covington County; A-N Covington County; N-Z Crenshaw County; A-R Crenshaw County; R-Z Cullman County; A-O Cullman County; O-Z Dale County; A-T Dale County; T-Z Dallas County; A-M Dallas County; M-Z DeKalb County; A-F DeKalb County; F-Z Elmore County; A-Jesse Edwards Elmore County; E-Z Escambia County; A-B Escambia County; B-W Escambia County; W-Z

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AL38 AL39

AL40

AL41

AL42

AL43

AL44

AL45

AL46 AL47 AL48

AL49

AL50 AL51

AL52 AL53

AL54 AL55 AL56

AL57

AL58 AL59

AL60

AL61 AL62 AL63

AL64

AL65 AL66

Etowah County; A-L Etowah County; L-Z Fayette County; A-Z Franklin County; A-J Franklin County; J-Z Geneva County; A-N Geneva County; N-Z Greene County; A-Z Hale County; A-H Hale County; H-Z Henry County; A-S Henry County; S-Z Houston County; A-R Houston County; R-Z Jackson County; A-M Jackson County; M-Z Jefferson County # 1; A-D Jefferson County # 1; D-M Jefferson County # 1; M-Wh Jefferson County # 1; Wi-Z Jefferson County # 2; A-R Jefferson County # 2; R-Z Jefferson County # 3; A-G Jefferson County # 3; G-W Jefferson County # 3; W-Z Lamar County; A-Z Lauderdale County; A-C Lauderdale County; C-V Lauderdale County; V-Z Lawrence County; A-Z Lee County; A-Z Limestone County; A-Z Lowndes County; A-Z Macon County; A-Mc Macon County; Mc-Z Madison County; A-H Madison County; H-V Madison County; V-Z Marengo County; A-T Marengo County; T-Z Marion County; A-Z Marshall County; A-C Marshall County; C-Z Mobile City # 1; A-M Mobile City # 1; M-Z Mobile City # 2; A-J Mobile City # 2; J-Z Mobile County; A-E Mobile County; E-S Mobile County; S-Z Monroe County; A-P

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AL67 AL68 AL69 AL70 AL71 AL72 AL73 AL74 AL75 AL76 AL77 AL78 AL79 AL80 AL81 AL82 AL83 AL84 AL85 AL86

AK1

AK2

AK3

Monroe County; P-Z Montgomery City # 1; A-H Montgomery City # 1; H-W Montgomery City # 1; W-Z Montgomery County; A-Z Morgan County; A-R Morgan County; R-Z Perry County; A-T Perry County; T-Z Pickens County; A-W Pickens County; W-Z Pike County; A-W Pike County; W-Z Randolph County; A-Z Russell County; A-Z St. Clair County; A-G St. Clair County; G-Z Shelby County; A-H Shelby County; H-Z Sumter County; A-L Sumter County; L-Z Talledega County; A-K Talledga County; K-Z Tallapoosa County; A-I Tallapoosa County; I-Z Tuscaloosa County; A-E Tuscaloosa County; E-N Tuscaloosa County; N-Z Walker County; A-C Walker County; C-M Walker County; M-Z Washington County; A-H Washington County; H-Z Wilcox County; A-R Wilcox County; R-Z Winston County; A-Z

Alaska Anchorage City; A-Z Cordova City; A-Z Douglas City; A-Z Eagle City; A-Z Fairbanks City; A-K Fairbanks City; K-Z Haines City; A-Z Iditarod City; A-Z Juneau City; A-Z Ketchikan City; A-Z McCarthy City; A-Z Nenana City; A-Z Nome City; A-Z

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AK4

AZ1

AZ2 AZ3 AZ4

AZ5

AZ6 AZ7

AZ8 AZ9

AZ10 AZ11 AZ12

AZ13

AZ14 AZ15

AZ16

AZ17 AZ18 AZ19

AR1

AR2 AR3

AR4

AR5

AR6

Petersburg City; A-Z Ruby City; A-Z Seward City; A-Z Sitka City; A-Z St. Michael; A-Z Skagway; A-Z Tanana City; A-Z Valdez City; A-Z Wrangell; A-Z

Arizona Apache County; A-Z Cochise County ; A-E Cochise County ; E -L Cochise County ; M-Sk Cochise County ; Sk-Z Coconino County; A -K Coconino County; L-Z Gila County; A-G Gila County; G-R Gila County; R-Z Graham County; A-Z Greenlee County; A-S Greenlee County; S-Z Maricopa County; A-F Maricopa County; F-M Maricopa County; M-T Maricopa County; T-Z Mohave County; A-Z Navajo County; A-Z Pima County; A-G Pima County; G-V Pima County; V-Z Pinal County; A-P Pinal County; P-Z Santa Cruz County; A-Z Yavapai County; A-Me Yavapai County; Me-Z Yuma County; A-Z

Arkansas Arkansas County; A-Z Ashley County; A-Z Baxter County; A-Z Benton County; A-H Benton County; H-Z Boone County; A-N Boone County; N-Z Bradley County; A-Z Calhoun County; A-Mc Calhoun County; Mc-Z

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AR7 AR8 AR9 AR10 AR11 AR12 AR13 AR14 AR15 AR16 AR17

AR18 AR19 AR20 AR21

AR22 AR23 AR24 AR25 AR26 AR27 AR28 AR29 AR30 AR31

Carroll County; A-Z Chicot County; A-G Chicot County; G-Z Clark County; A-L Clark County; L-Z Clay County; A-Mc Clay County; Mc-Z Cleburn County; A-Z Cleveland County; A-Z Columbia County; A-Ma Columbia County; Ma-Z Conway County; A-S Conway County; T-Z Craighead County; A-Mc Craighead County; Mc-Z Crawford County; A-K Crawford County; K-Z Crittenden County; A-H Crittenden County; H-Z Cross County; A-P Cross County; P-Z Dallas County; A-Z Desha County; A-D Desha County; D-Z Drew County; A-H Drew County; H-Z Faulkner County; A-L Faulkner County; L-Z Franklin County; A-S Franklin County; S-Z Fulton County; A-Z Garland County; A-G Garland County; G-Z Grant County; A-S Grant County; S-Z Green County; A-U Green County; U-Z Hempstead County; A-S Hempstead County; S-Z Hot Springs County; A-Z Howard County; A-Z Independence County; A-C Independence County; C-Z Izard County; A-J Izard County; J-Z Jackson County; A-R Jackson County; R-Z Jefferson County # 1; A-T Jefferson County # 1; T-Z Jefferson County # 2; A-M Jefferson County # 2; M-Z

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AR32 AR33 AR34 AR35 AR36 AR37 AR38 AR39 AR40 AR41 AR42

AR43 AR44 AR45 AR46 AR47 AR48 AR49 AR50 AR51 AR52 AR53

AR54 AR55 AR56 AR57

AR58

Johnson County; A-L Johnson County; L-Z LaFayette County; A-Z Lawrence County; A-Z Lee County; A-C Lee County; C-Z Lincoln County; A-Z Little River County; A-D Little River County; D-Z Little Rock City # 1; A-H Little Rock City # 1; H-Z Little Rock City # 2; A-Boa Little Rock City # 2; Boa -Z Logan County; A-N Logan County; N-Z Lonoke County; A-L Lonoke County; L-Z Madison County; A-S Madison County; S-Z Marion County; A-Z Miller County; A-H Miller County; H-Z Mississippi County; A-D Mississippi County; D-R Mississippi County; R-Z Monroe County; A-H Monroe County; H-Z Montgomery County; A-Z Nevada County; A-Z Newton County; A-S Newton County; S-Z Ouachita County; A-Z Perry County; A-Z Phillips County; A-G Phillips County; G-Smith Phillips County; Smith-Z Pike County; A-Z Poinsett County; A-S Poinsett County; S-Z Polk County; A-Z Pope County; A-C Pope County; C-Z Prairie County; A-F Prairie County; F-Z Pulaski County # 1; A-L Pulaski County # 1; L-Z Pulaski County # 2; A-R Pulaski County # 2; R-Z Randolph County; A-Z St. Francis County; A-C St. Francis County; C-Z

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