Skip to main content

Marcelle Fischer Collection

 Collection
Identifier: WV 0253

Scope and Contents

The Marcelle Fischer Papers primarily consists of correspondence, printed materials, photographs and artifacts, most of which date from or pertain to Fischer's service in the WAAC and WAAC during World War II. Correspondence from Fischer includes discussion of her duties teaching office work to male soldiers and general WAC life, such as barracks life, dating, social outings, her feelings regarding her contribution to the war effort, and her desire for advancement in the WAC. The correspondence also includes letters from male soldiers, both stateside and overseas, and correspondence from WAC friends such as Mildred Estabrook, who was stationed in Europe in 1945, and Ruth Tamayo, who primarily wrote about religious topics and mysteries while posted in Germany and Japan from 1950 to 1953.

Printed Materials in this collection take many forms, primarily booklets, souvenirs, newspapers and newspaper clippings, event programs, certificates, and training manuals. Most of these are related to Fischer's duties in the WAC or collected by her during her time of service, and some can be found in the Oversize Series. Also included in this collection are a few artifacts, primarily uniform accessories, and a significant number of photographs of Fischer and her WAC friends.

Dates

  • 1935-1990

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright is retained by the creators of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information. Please see our Sensitive Materials Statement.

Biographical Note

Marcelle K. Fischer of Skokie, Illinois, had already held several jobs, one with the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., when she decided to enlist in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps in 1942. She attended basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and then had advanced training in army administration at Drake University, also in Des Moines, where she prepared for duties in handling technical manuals and teaching office work to male soldiers. In spring of 1943 she was sent to Fort Custer, Michigan, then by fall of 1943 had moved to Rapid City Army Air Base in South Dakota. She was finally stationed at Ft. McPherson, Georgia, where she was discharged from the WAC in November 1945.

After the war, Fischer went to work for the Railroad Retirement Board until she decided to resume her college studies and enrolled in the Sorbonne in Paris, France, in 1951. While in Europe, she began visiting flea markets, a hobby which eventually launched her into a career of dealing in antiques.

Extent

1.80 Linear Feet (4 boxes and 6 oversized folders)

Language of Materials

English

Metadata Rights Declarations

  • License: This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

Method of Acquisition

Purchased, 2002.

Offensive Language Statement

The UNC Greensboro University Libraries collects, preserves, and makes accessible unique and historical materials for learning and research. The nature of historical materials is such that some material may represent positions, norms, and values that are offensive and objectionable. These materials represent the opinions and actions of their creators. By providing access to these records in our reading room and through our digital collections, we recognize that archives and rare books can play a vital role in holding those creators accountable and in helping us learn from the past.

Our finding aids and other collection descriptions may occasionally re-use language provided by creators or former holders of the materials, but we strive to place outdated or offensive terminology in context. That said, we recognize that we may not always make the right decision and welcome feedback from all sources so we can learn and adjust our practices. Please contact us at scua@uncg.edu if you encounter problematic language in our finding aids or other collection description. We will review the language and, as appropriate, update it in a way that balances preservation of the original context with our ongoing commitment to describing materials with respectful and inclusive language.

Processing Information

Processed by Archives staff, 2002.

Title
Marcelle Fischer Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Archives staff
Date
2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Repository Details

Part of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
P.O. Box 26170
320 College Ave.
Greensboro NC 27402-6170 US
336-334-5246