American Friends Service Committee records

Biography/Profile

The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) was created in 1917 by members of the Religious Society of Friends in the United States in order to provide conscientious objectors ways to serve without joining the military or taking lives. In 1917, at its inception, it sent young men and women to France where they worked in cooperation with the British Friends, feeding and caring for refugee children, founding a maternity hospital, repairing and rebuilding homes, and providing returning refugees with the necessities with which to restart their lives. After the end of World War I, the work of the Service Committee continued to other war-ravaged nations. They began various projects in providing assistance to workers in Russia, feeding hungry children in Germany and Austria. They also helped refugees escape Hitlerğt;'s Germany, provided relief for children of both sides of the Civil War in Spain, and fed refugees in occupied France.

After World War II AFSC engaged in relief and reconstruction in many European countries, as well as India, China, and Japan. In 1947, along with British Quakers, AFSC received the Nobel Prize, in recognition for their work in helping war-ravaged communities. While continuing to help victims of war around the globe, the organization believed that most conflicts stem from injustice, thus it initiated a series of programs designed to relieve the tensions from which wars come. AFSC established programs of social and technical assistance in developing nations — among them: Pakistan, India, Zambia, Peru, Mexico, and Algeria.

In the United States, AFSC has long been concerned with eliminating injustices that have negative impacts on the lives of the poor, minority groups, American Indians, migrant workers, and other disenfranchised groups. Throughout the 1950s — 1970s AFSC was an important ally throughout the Civil Rights movement. It helped organized various programs in areas of integrated housing communities, employment on merit, training in non-violent protest, voter education, and school desegregation. AFSC also worked continuously to create informed public opinion on the issues of war and peace; it informed the American citizens about the dangers of increasing militarism and the actions of the military-industrial complex in the United States. Additionally, some AFSC programs received funds from the government as part of the <"war on povertyğt;" and have initiated programs aimed to help disadvantaged communities across the nation.

The Service Committee work in Chicago began after World War I with the collection of food and clothing for the German Relief Program. Two groups of friends worked in the Chicago area: one group met at the Hull House settlement house and the other one on Chicagoğt;'s South Side. The groups cooperated during a 1936 Emergency Peace Campaign and to organize a 12-day Institute of International Relations in Naperville. During these years, under the leadership of Alfred H. Cope, and subsequently of Jeanette F. Stetson, AFSC worked on a Spanish program, supported refugees from Central Europe, and provided assistance to new residents in the Chicago area.

In 1942 the AFSC Board authorized the Chicago Regional Office. Edwin C. Morgenroth acted as Executive Secretary and Ruth Keeton as the Secretary. The Chicago Regional Office also saw an increase in its staff members in part due to the Japanese American relocation program. In 1943 a Relocation hostel was established in Chicago that served families eligible for the relocation program. Additionally, many ethnic groups joined the Friends Meetings to sew and pack clothing for shipment abroad.

In 1950 the Chicago Office started a Job Opportunities Program designed to provide new and non-traditional employment opportunities for young people who faced prejudice, discrimination, and segregation. The Internes-in-Industry summer project is another example of AFSCğt;'s work with the business community. It helped young college students in to get job experience in various fields. The Chicago Office also participated in such programs as: the Institutional Service Unit for helping the mentally ill and the Housing Opportunities program aimed at bringing together the riot-torn community in Cicero, Illinois.

In 1958 Kale Williams became the Executive Secretary for the AFSC Chicago Regional Office. Under his leadership, AFSC Chicago moved from its previous location on Madison and Wabash Ave. to larger quarters at 300 W. Congress Parkway. During these years a series of work-camps gave opportunities for service to young people. AFSC also worked on behalf of Menominee Indians of Wisconsin and initiated a Labor International Program. Other significant developments in the 1960s include: the initiation of the Youth Opportunities Program and the establishment of the Industrial Community Project.

By 1960 the activities of the Chicago Regional Office were directed by an Executive Committee that had the following structure:

- Three officers: chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer — selected annually;

- Twenty-one members-at-large in three classes of seven, serving staggered terms of three years;

- Chairmen of administrative and program committees;

- Members of the AFSC Corporation resident in the Chicago Region and nominated by Yearly meetings;

- Four administrative committees carrying specific responsibilities and reporting directly to the Executive Committee: Finance, Personnel, Nominating and Program Evaluating.

- Three program committees reporting directly to the Executive Committee, with appropriate sub-committees that focused on their respective area of concern: Work and Study, Peace Education, and Housing Opportunities.

Sources:

www.afsc.org - The Website of American Friends Service Committee

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel prizes/peace/laureates/1947/ - The Official Website of the Nobel Prize

AFSC Annual reports — 1955 — 1965