Series XIII: Virginia Agricultural Council of Safety, 1917-1918

Scope and content:

The Council of National Defense was created by an act of Congress on 29 August 1916 to coordinate all national resources pertaining to the efficient mobilization and maintenance of the United States armed forces. After the United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, the federal government requested that each state create a State Council of Defense to carry out the duties of the National Council. To comply with this request, Virginia Governor Henry Carter Stuart created an unwieldy organization which included the Agricultural Council of Safety (18 April 1917), Industrial Council of Safety (25 April 1917), and the Virginia Council of Defense (26 April 1917). The duties of each council overlapped but each retained its own identity. The Virginia Council of Defense was essentially an advisory body which coordinated the work of all councils. Governor Westmoreland Davis corrected this situation when he abolished all three councils in February 1918 and organized all defense activities under the Second Virginia Council of Defense. The Agricultural Council of Safety focused on food production and conservation. Members of the Executive Council were: Chairman Dr. Jesse M. Jones of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Secretary B.C. Moomaw, Jr. Other members of the Council included T.O. Sandy, V. Vaden, Ella G. Agnew, Mrs. B.B. Munford, Dr. H.B. Frissell, B.M. Shepherd, Dr. R.C. Stearns, Dr. J.D. Eggleston, A.B. Thornhill and B.F. Purcell. Council Secretary B.C. Moomaw established a central office in Richmond and the Council appointed local councils for each county to carry out its' work.

The Virginia Agricultural Council of Safety series is housed in 5 boxes. The Virginia War History Commission published a history of the Virginia Agricultural Council of Safety and an index to their records in Virginia War Agencies, Selective Services and Volunteers (Source Volume 4) (Richmond: 1926, pp. 27-32 & 457-480), edited by Arthur Kyle Davis. The folder numbering for this series corresponds to the numbering used in the index; records not indexed follow. Not all indexed records are extant. The majority of the material consists primarily of correspondence between Council Chairman Jesse M. Jones and Secretary B.C. Moomaw and the local councils outlining their organization (including a list of members), plans, and activities. Other subjects include assistance offered by the Boy Scouts, Farm Labor Exemptions, Food Production and Conservation, Negro Agricultural Councils, Women's Work and correspondence to Jesse M. Jones. Miscellaneous records include lists of local council members and drafts of the index to the Council's records.

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