• Creator Names American Field Service.
  • Title American Field Service records [manuscript], 1917-1919.
  • Physical description
    • ca. 250 items.
    • 1 oversize item.
  • Collection summary
    • Letters; a short history of the organization; various lists of donors of ambulances, lists of men serving, etc.; clippings; and pamphlets. Concerns the financial status of the organization, the morale of those in service, particularly of those who wished to leave it for more active military duty, and the cooperation with the Military Training Camps. Correspondents include A. Piatt Andrew, who was Inspector General of the A.F.S. in France, Chauncey McCormick, Charles B. Pike, Henry D. Sleeper, Lanning Macfarland, George R. Young, Gaylord Thomas, Wharton Clay. Topics include the Chicago office's work in recruiting and financing 275 men and 75 ambulances; dissatisfaction of enlistees with Mr. Andrew's attitude toward their wish to leave the Field Service for more active military duty; the Chicago Tribune's role in the controversy; difficulty recruits encountered in France in getting money due them; argument whether some recruits should enter the French Motor Transport Service. After the declaration of war by the United States, a switch to French Transport Service was inaugurated, and the A.F.S. militarized, all ambulance service being handled through the Army Hospital Corps.
    • Correspondence deals with cooperation with the Military Training Camps; requests for assistance from Chicago for the American Ambulance in Italy and the American Ambulance in Russia; a poem in tribute to the A.F.S., etc. Also included are 3 letters written to Charles L. Hutchinson (and added to this collection later): Aug. 1917, from Henry D. Sleeper, American Representative, thanks Hutchinson for the money which as treasurer, he has transferred to Charles B. Pike; Jan. 7, 1918, letter from Dr Frank Wieland concerns the difficulty encountered by his son in France in getting money due him; Jan. 8, 1918, letter written by Mr. Pike explains that he is investigating the status of the funds in France.
    • Also included is one oversize item - a 1917 certificate of service issues to Orville Davies, Volunteer Ambulance Driver of the American Field Service, May 19 to Nov. 5, 1917, signed by A. Piatt Andrew, Inspector General of the American Automobile Service for the French Armies. In French.
  • Acquisition information Most of this collection was a gift of Charles B. Pike.
  • Finding Aids Note Unpublished finding aid available.
  • Location of Other Archival Materials Note Related materials at Chicago History Museum, Research Center, include the Military Training Camps Association of the United States records.
  • Names
    • American Field Service Archives.
    • Andrew, A. Piatt (Abram Piatt), 1873-1936 Archives.
    • McCormick, Chauncey, 1884-1954.
    • Pike, Charles B. (Charles Burrall) 1871-1941 Archives.
    • Military Training Camps Association (U.S.)
    • United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces.
    • McCormick, Chauncey, 1884-1954.
    • Pike, Charles B. (Charles Burrall) 1871-1941.
    • Andrew, A. Piatt., (Abram Piatt), 1873-1936.
    • Sleeper, Henry Davis, 1878-1934.
    • Macfarland, Lanning.
    • Young, George Ranney, American Field Service.
    • Thomas, Gaylord.
    • Clay, Wharton, 1881?-1952.
  • Uniform Title Chicago tribune.
  • Subjects
    • Military training camps United States 20th century.
    • Military education United States 20th century.
    • World War, 1914-1918 France.
    • World War, 1914-1918 Medical care.
    • World War, 1914-1918 Transport of sick and wounded.
  • Geographic name
    • France.
    • United States Illinois Cook County Chicago.