Scope and Content Note
The papers of John McAuley Palmer (1870-1955) span the years 1863-1977, with the bulk of the material dating from 1900 to 1949. The collection contains personal and family correspondence, memoranda, subject files, biographical material, speeches and writings, and other material relating to Palmer’s military career. The papers include drafts and research material of Palmer’s articles and books concerning American military history and advocating the creation of a peacetime citizen army based on universal military training. The collection also contains draft chapters of an unfinished memoir as well as research notebooks gathered in preparation for the uncompleted work. The collection is organized in the following series: Chronological File , World War II File , Writings File , Miscellany , and Addition , and Artifact .
The Chronological File contains correspondence, official memoranda, family papers, speeches and writings, and various reports and other printed matter covering Palmer’s military career. The series chronicles the appointments and stations to which Palmer was assigned during his military service and documents his commitment to the establishment of a permanent national military organization. The series also contains personal and family correspondence and material relating to the research and writing of Palmer’s various publications.
The World War II File contains material similar to the Chronological File and supplements many of the issues documented in that series. In November 1941, Chief of Staff George C. Marshall recalled Palmer to active duty as a special adviser on civilian reserve forces. In his capacity as a “military elder statesman,” Palmer served on committees, compiled reports, and testified before Congress in support of a national citizen reserve. The World War II File reflects Palmer’s efforts in his advisory role until his retirement from the military in 1946.
The Writings File contains correspondence, research material, drafts, reviews, and other items relating to Palmer’s published and unpublished writings. While most of his writings were in the field of military history, Palmer’s themes were more concerned with achieving contemporary military reforms based on the concept of the citizen army. The Writings File contains material relating to all of Palmer’s published historical volumes as well as draft chapters of a partial memoir, “An Old Soldier’s Memories.” The series also includes a set of research notebooks assembled as background material for chapters of the memoir that were left unfinished. Identified by Palmer as “Chapter Notes,” the notebooks contain items gathered largely from the Chronological File and include personal and family correspondence, memoranda, rough drafts of chapters, notes, printed matter, and excerpts from Palmer’s other writings.
The Miscellany series includes material relating to Palmer’s postwar activities including his statements in support of universal military training and the citizen reserve before the President’s Advisory Commission on Universal Military Training, 1947, and the Defense Department’s Committee on Civilian Components, 1948.
The Addition series consists of material assembled by Palmer’s biographer, I. B. Holley, in preparation for his book General John M. Palmer, Citizen Soldiers, and the Army of a Democracy. The book includes the only published account of Palmer’s memoir, and the Addition contains Holley’s correspondence, drafts, notes, research material, and other items referencing the book’s publication. Palmer’s daughter Mary Palmer Rockwell contributed primary documents to Holley’s effort including correspondence and miscellaneous items from George C. Marshall and John J. Pershing, both of whom were friends of Palmer and his daughter. In addition to Rockwell, other family correspondents include John Palmer Chandler (grandson), Maude Laning Palmer (wife), and George H. Rockwell (son-in-law).