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Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, New York Commandery records

Call Number

MS 3201

Date

1894-2012 (bulk 1894-1960s), inclusive

Creator

Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States. New York Commandery

Extent

4.5 Linear feet in 4 record cartons, 1 document box, and 1 oversize folder

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The collection includes membership applications from 1895-1963; foundational documents from the Military Order's inception in 1894-1895; meeting minutes and related documents for the organization's early decades through 1922; photographs of about 100 members (known as companions), including its Commanders from the early twentieth century; a history of the national organization self-published in 1997; and other items.

Biographical / Historical

The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, New York Commandery was formed in New York City in December 1894 by a group of veterans and descendants of officers of America's wars with foreign adversaries, specifically at the time the Revolution, War of 1812, War with Tripoli, and Mexican War. The organization was incorporated under the name Military and Naval Order of the United States in the State of New York, but it was immediately determined that the name bore a resemblance to a similar organization in Massachusetts. Consequently, in 1895 the Order changed its name to its present form.

The foundational declaration, or "Institution," of the Order's charter members cited the purposes of the organization, which included honoring the memory of the veterans of America's foreign wars, strengthening ties of fellowship among the companions (as the Order's members are known), fostering the cultivation of military and naval science, and maintaining national honor, union and independence. A constitution was established which included the qualifications for membership. The specifics of these have changed over the course of the New York Commandery's history, sometimes in exclusionary ways, such as the institution of a Caucasian [sic] racial requirement after World War I (eliminated around 1962), and sometimes in inclusionary ways, such as the removal of a male lineage requirement, but the principal thread throughout is that officers or descendants of officers who served in a foreign military conflict are eligible.

The formation of the New York Commandery quickly served as a model, and Pennsylvania formed its own Commandery in 1895, followed by Connecticut in 1896 and then several other states. In response to this sudden proliferation, a National Commandery was formed in 1896. The New York Commandery held its own annual meeting; the National Commandery sponsored triennial (later biennial) conventions.

(The above note was based on materials in the collection and the website of the Military Order of Foreign Wars, New York Commandery's website.)

Arrangement

The collection is organized in three series:

Series I. Applications for Companionship [Membership Applications], 1895-1963

Series II. Organizational Records, 1894-1997 (bulk 1895-1922)

Series III. Photographs and Graphic Material, 1917-2012 (bulk undated)

Series IV. Digitized Material, 1894-2012 (bulk 1894-1960s)

Scope and Contents

The collection includes about 1,750 applications for companionship (i.e., membership applications) from 1895-1963, with the applicant's service record (or of his ancestor in the case of a hereditary companionship); foundational documents from the Military Order's inception in 1894-1895; meeting minutes and related documents for the organization's early decades through 1922; photographs of about 100 companions, including its Commanders from the early twentieth century; a history of the national organization self-published in 1997; and other items.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers. Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact manuscripts@nyhistory.org prior to your research visit to coordinate access. Keep in mind that it will take between two (2) and five (5) business days for collections to arrive, and you should plan your research accordingly. Patrons may request view-only remote access to digital materials.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff. Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as: Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, New York Commandery records, MS 3201, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact manuscripts@nyhistory.org prior to your research visit to coordinate access. Keep in mind that it will take between two (2) and five (5) business days for collections to arrive, and you should plan your research accordingly.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States, New York Commandery, 2021

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital copies of most of the documents in the collection were made by the Commandery and were included with the donation in 2021. These are expected to be made available in time through N-YHS's Digital Library, but can temporarily be made available upon request by contacting manuscripts@nyhistory.org. Only two items were included by the Commandery as digital-only documents: a list of members (Digital Folder 39) and a compiled history of the New York Commandery (Digital Folder 50).

Collection processed by

Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-09-05 11:07:39 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

The collection was well inventoried and orderly when presented to New-York Historical. N-YHS archivist Larry Weimer made minor adjustments to the arrangement to facilitate storage and access, and fashioned the items into categories for presentation in this finding aid in July 2021. Framed items were removed from frames for conservation purposes.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024