Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Wood, Eric Fisher, 1889-1962.
Title:	Eric Fisher Wood Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1909-1964
Quantity:	8.0 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American army officer, architect, author, founding member of the American Legion. Correspondence, diaries, speeches, training manuals, published materials by and about Wood, military records, reports, maps, and photographs pertaining mostly to Wood's military service. Also, correspondence and research material relating to Leonard Wood.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Eric Fisher Wood (1889-1962) was an American engineer, military officer (retiring with the rank of Brigadier General), and co-founder of the American Legion.

Born in New York City in 1889, Wood was educated in private schools and at Yale. He graduated in 1910 with a B.A. degree in economics and English and a PhD in Civil Engineering. He did post-graduate work at Columbia and at l'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. While there, he was enlisted by the American Embassy to help care for the flood of problems brought on by World War I. He served as an attaché and kept a journal which he later published as a book. Wood then enlisted in the British and French armies, winning many decorations. When America entered the war, he enlisted as a private and rose to the rank of colonel. He fought in France, and, remaining there after the war, was one of the four original founders of the American Legion (1919) and served as an officer for many years. Returning to the United States, he made architecture his career, in Pittsburgh, Pa., and became one of the nation's leading architects. He served as a National Guard Commander in Pennsylvania. At the start of World War II, he was recalled to service, serving all through the war, eventually rising to brigadier general. His oldest son, Eric Jr., was killed in action in 1944. After the war, Wood returned home and became active again, as he had before, in Pennsylvania state politics, strongly supporting the Republican party, and serving as an advisor to Nixon and Eisenhower. Wood died in 1962, leaving his wife, whom he had married in 1918, and his three surviving children.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Eric Fisher Wood Papers include correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, diaries, and published material.

Correspondence includes both incoming and outgoing. Correspondence to and from others is also arranged chronologically.

Subject files consists of material on a variety of topics. The three largest subjects are the American Legion, World War I, and World War II.

American Legion material includes bulletins, a charter, correspondence, a history, American Legion magazines and newspapers, reports, speeches, and other material pertaining to the American Legion.

World War I material includes articles by Wood, photographs of Camp Sherman, correspondence, material on the 83rd and 88th Divisions, French publications, manuscripts of Wood's British service and notes on his war service.

World War II material includes clippings, correspondence, maps, notes, a manuscript by Wood, and material on German concentration camps and prisoners-of-war and displaced persons.

Other topics represented include Georgia, the National Guard, Pennsylvania state politics and Gen. Leonard Wood. The series also contains illustrations of Wood's architecture, a diary, scrapbooks, and material on such notable military figures as Winston Churchill, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and Gen. George S. Patton.

Manuscripts consists of manuscripts of articles, books, columns, newspaper articles, notes, reports, speeches, and similar items by Wood.

Published material includes circulars, lectures by Wood, magazines, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, press releases by Wood, a program, reports, and speeches. The articles, clippings, pamphlets and speeches are either by Wood, about Wood or his works, or by and about others.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Incoming correspondenc is arranged alphabetically by sender, and outgoing correspondence is arranged chronologically. Subject files are arranged alphabetically by subject. Manuscripts are arranged alphabetically by type and ends with manuscripts of others. Published material is arranged alphabetically by type, and further arranged chronologically where necessary.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

A 1915 copy of Wood's memoirs, Note-book of an Attaché, has been transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. Please refer to Libraries Search to locate this item.

See also the Eric Fisher Wood Family Photographs.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eric Fisher Wood Papers.
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Eric F. Wood, 1967.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: [Summit record]
Date: May 1967
Revision history: 5 Nov 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

	Biographical material
Box 1		Miscellaneous

	Correspondence
Box 1		Incoming 1914, 1915, 1917, 1924, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1962
Box 1		Outgoing 1919, 1922, 1924, 1946, 1953-1954, 1959, 1961, 1962
Box 1		To and from others 1917, 1964, undated

	Subject files
		American Legion
Box 1			Bill and patent 1919-1920
Box 1			Bulletins 1919, 1921-1922
Box 1			Bylaws, meetings, minutes and resolutions 1919, 1935, 1958-1959
Box 1			Calls for Conventions 1919, 1921, 1959 1919
Box 1			Charter
Box 1			Correspondence 1916, 1919, 1921, 1934, 1938-1940, 1950, 1952-1954, 1958-1959, undated
Box 1			Drafts and notes undated
Box 1			History 1919, undated
Box 1			Lists 1919, 1921, 1958-1959, undated
			Magazines
Box 1				1919
Box 1				American Legion Magazine Mar 1939
Box 1				American Legion Weekly 1919
Box 1			Memoranda 1919
Box 2			Newspaper, Stars and Stripes 1919
Box 2			Newspaper clippings 1919, undated
Box 2			Pamphlets 1920, 1952-1953, undated
Box 2			Proceedings 1919-1921, 1958-1959
Box 2			Published material 1921, 1952, undated - miscellaneous
Box 2			Report of National Emblem Committee 1959
Box 2			Reports 1919, 1959
Box 2			Speeches 1919, 1920, undated
Box 2			Universal Military Training 1953
Box 2		Architect engineer questionnaire 1955
Box 2		Architecture 1929, undated - illustrations of Wood's work; photos and published material
Box 2		Book reviews 1915 - typescripy copies
Box 2		Churchill, Winston 1955, undated - notes, published material
Box 3		"Diary While at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris" 1913 (2 folders, 438pp)
Box 3		Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the Command and General Staff School 1936-1937, 1939
		Georgia
Box 3			Correspondence 1942, 1943
Box 3			Notes 1941-1942, 1944, undated
Box 3			State Guard 1942-1943, undated - correspondence
Box 3			State Guard - manuscripts and published material
Box 3		Gettysburg (Civil War) notes and maps undated
Box 3		Itinerary of speaking trip undated
Box 3		List of Wood's architectural projects undated
Box 3		MacArthur, General Douglas 1934, 1951, 1961, undated
Box 3		Martin, General Edward 1938-1939, 1941-1942
Box 3		Memorial to Eric Wood, Jr. 1953, undated
Box 3		Meyerode, Belgium, statements concerning son's WWII service and death
		National Guard
Box 3			Analysis, directives, proposals and speeches 1931-1932, 1941, 1943, undated
Box 3			Correspondence 1921, 1936-1937, 1939-1940
Box 3			Miscellaneous 1932-1933, 1937, 1939-1941
Box 3			Notes 1927-1928, 1931, undated
Box 4			TLX Training 1938
Box 4			Training memoranda 1925, 1927, 1930-1932, 1936
		Pennsylvania state politics
Box 4			Correspondence 1961-1962
Box 4			List 1961
Box 4			Memos and notes 1962, undated
Box 4			Published material 1962, undated
			Reports
Box 4				1962
Box 4				Complete report 1952-1960 (2 copies)
Box 4			Scrapbook 1927
Box 4			Whalley, J. Irving (Representative) undated - biography
Box 4		Patton, General George S. 1945, 1947, 1955
Box 4		Personal Army papers 1918, 1923, 1932, 1938-1942, 1946, 1949
Box 4		Plattsburg, New York military training camp 1916-1917 - photos and roster
Box 5		Scrapbook 1915 - clippings (2 volumes)
Box 5		Shannon (Ireland) Free Airport 1960, 1961, 1962, undated
Box 5		Telephone bill 1964
		World War I
Box 6			Army General Staff Courses 1918, undated
Box 6			Army General Staff College maps undated
Box 6			Army Memoranda 1918, 1919, undated
Box 6			Article on British censorship by Wood 1917 - published material
Box 6			Awards and certificates 1915, 1918-1919, undated
Box 6			"The Battle of the Marne" undated - manuscript
			Camp Sherman
Box 6				Correspondence 1917-1918, 1919, 1922, 1928, undated
Box 6				Chapter I, Personalities August 1917-June 1918, undated - photos
Box 6				Chapter II, first training event - exhibition of bayonet fighting undated - photos
Box 6				Chapter III, first half of September 1917 - photos
Box 6				Chapter IV, 2nd half of September 1917 - photos
Box 7				Chapter V, October and November training 1917 - photos
Box 7				Chapter VII, Tactical Training December 1917 - photos
Box 7				Chapter VIII, Maneuvers January-March 1918 - photos
Box 7				Chapter IX, Station personnel and installations undated - photos
Box 7			Correspondence 1915-1919
Box 7			Data 1914, 1916, 1917, undated - published material
Box 7			Documents 1914
			83rd Division
Box 7				Correspondence and manuscripts 1917-1918, undated (2 folders)
Box 7				Camp Sherman 1917-1919, undated - manuscripts and published material
			88th Division
Box 8				1918-1919, undated
Box 8				Camp Dodger 1917, 1919 - published material
Box 8				Correspondence 1918-1919, 1922, undated
Box 8				Memoranda 1918-1919
Box 8				Published material 1917, 1919, undated
Box 8			Flag incident 1916-1916, undated
Box 8			French publications 1915, 1916, undated - includes article about Wood
Box 8			Lists undated
Box 8			Lusitania 1915-1916, undated
Box 9			Manuscripts of British Service 1916-1917, undated (2 folders)
Box 9			"The New Army Act and the Militia" by Wood undated - published material
Box 9			Notes 1918, undated
Box 9			Notes and maps 1914, undated
Box 9			Notes from France 1918, undated
Box 9			Notes on British Service 1916, 1917 - manuscripts
Box 9			Notes on British Service 1914, 1917, undated - published material
Box 9			Notebook undated
Box 9			Photographs 1919, undated
Box 9			Platoon composition and formations undated
Box 10			Postal censorship 1916-1917, undated - published material and photos
Box 10			Preparedness 1914-1916, undated
Box 10			Press statements 1916, undated
Box 10			Service with the British 1917, undated - photos
			Staff College, 88th Division
Box 10				Correspondence and published material 1918
Box 10				Manuscripts 1918
Box 10			Villa incident, Mexico 1915-1916, undated
		World War II
Box 10			Abstracts of Interrogation undated
Box 10			Clippings re World War II after VJ Day 1940, 1941, 1944-1947, undated
Box 10			Correspondence 1942-1945 (2 folders)
Box 10			Documents 1944-1945, undated
Box 10			"An Examination of the Campaign in Normandy" by Wood 1940 - manuscript
Box 10			Exercise, 107th F.H. Regimental Staff School, "The Battle of Rossignol, August 1914" 1939
Box 11			Extra photographs and negatives
Box 11			German concentration camps 1945 - published material and photos
Box 11			Maps of France and Germany undated
Box 11			Newspaper clippings 1942-1946, undated
Box 11			Notes, miscellaneous 1941, 1944-1945
Box 11			P.O.W. and D.P. Division 1944-1947, 1950, undated
Box 11			Souvenirs 1944-1945
		Wood, General Leonard
Box 11			Correspondence 1919, 1923, 1926-1928
Box 11			Newspaper clippings 1920-1927
Box 11			Photographs 1917, undated
			Typescript of conversation undated
Box 11		"Woodrow Wilson and Mexico" 1916 - correspondence, article, photos

	Manuscripts
		Articles
Box 12			"An Armed Democracy, An Organized Nation" undated
Box 12			"Bank Architecture" 1921
Box 12			"The Battle of Arras" undated
Box 12			"The Battle of Chicago" undated
Box 12			"The British General Service Medal for WWI" undated
Box 12			"Colonel L'Hospital" 1940, 1960-1961, undated - with photos
Box 12			"The Grizzly and the Brown Bear" undated
Box 12			"The Luckiest Morning" undated
Box 12			"Necessity for Military Discipline" undated
Box 12			"The Writing on the Wall" undated
Box 12			Unidentified articles 1922, undated
		Books
Box 12			The Big Game of Alaska undated - first carbon
			Notebook of an Attaché
Box 12				Original notes May-Nov 1914 (2 folders)
Box 13				Original notes Dec 1914-Feb 1915
Box 13				Original notebooks 1914, undated
Box 13		Columns, "To My Neighbors" 1940
Box 13		Data notebook "commenced at 1925-1930 Encampment" undated
Box 13		Memoranda 1961, undated
Box 13		Newspaper articles 1914, 1940
Box 13		Notes on "Times" article 1916
Box 13		Notes, "What the F.A. can do for the Inf. Limitations of F.A." undated
		"Notes of E.F.W.'s Visit to Alaska, 1909"
Box 13			Holograph, partial
Box 13			Revised typescript pp. 1-73
Box 13			Typescript pp. 1-44
Box 14			Revised Typescript pp. 74-124 and extra pages
Box 14		Reports 1917, undated
Box 14		Research materials 1951, undated
Box 14		Scenario by Wood, untitled undated
Box 14		Speeches 1916-1917, 1920-1921, 1924-1925, 1929-1931, 1938, 1941, 1943, 1946-1947, 1951, 1956, undated (6 folders)
Box 14		Manuscripts of others 1921, undated

	Published material
		Book, The Notebook of an Attaché (The Century Co.: New York) 1915
			Transferred to Rare Books for cataloging, Nov 2009.
Box 15		Circulars undated
Box 15		Lectures by Wood 1943
		Magazines
Box 15			Intelligence Digest 1949
Box 15			Progress 1928
		Magazine articles
Box 15			By Wood 1915, 1930, undated
Box 15			About Wood 1915, undated
Box 15			By and about others 1915, 1926-1927, 1932, 1934-1936, 1941, 1951-1952, 1955-1956, 1958, undated
		Newspaper clippings
Box 15			By Wood 1916, undated
Box 15			By Wood, "To My Neighbors" Feb-Dec 1940, Feb-May 1941 (3 folders)
Box 16			About Wood 1915-1918, 1920, 1933, 1947, undated
Box 16			About Notebook of an Attaché 1915, 1916, undated
Box 16			About Notebook of an Intelligence Officer 1918, undated
Box 16			About The Writing on the Wall 1915, 1916, undated
Box 16			By and about others 1915, 1918, 1921-1923, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1934-1936, 1938, 1940, 1951-1952, 1955-1957, 1959, undated (3 folders)
		Pamphlets
Box 16			About Wood undated
Box 16			By and about others 1917, 1926, 1928, 1933, 1948
Box 16			By and about others (Army) 1917, undated
Box 16		Press releases by Wood 1916
Box 16		Program 1916
Box 16		Reports 1917, 1939
		Speeches
Box 16			By Wood 1940
Box 16			By others 1955, 1956

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