Collection Summary
Charity Adams Earley
Papers
1928-2002
(bulk 1942-2002)
1928-2002
(bulk 1942-2002)
MSS84973
Earley, Charity Adams,
1918-2002
1,000
items
8 containers plus 1 oversize
3.2 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
African-American army
officer, educator, and civic activist. Book drafts, correspondence, military
records, speeches, notes, press clippings, printed matter, and other papers
relating to Earley’s experience as the first African-American commissioned
officer in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II and her community
activities later in life.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Earley, Charity Adams, 1918-2002.
Earley, Charity Adams, 1918-2002. One woman's Army : a Black officer remembers the WAC. 1989.
Organizations
United States. Army--African American troops.
United States. Army--Women.
United States. Army. Women's Army Corps.
United States. Army. Women's Army Corps. Central Postal Battalion, 6888th.
Subjects
African Americans--Segregation.
World War, 1939-1945--England--Birmingham.
World War, 1939-1945--France--Paris.
World War, 1939-1945--France--Rouen.
World War, 1939-1945--Participation, African American.
World War, 1939-1945--Participation, Female.
Places
Fort Des Moines (Iowa)
United States--Armed Forces--African American officers.
Occupations
Army officers.
Civic activists.
Educators.
Provenance
The papers of Charity Adams Earley, African-American army officer,
educator, and civic activist, were given to the Library of Congress by Stanley
A. Earley, Jr., in 2003.
Copyright Status
Copyright in the unpublished writings of Charity Adams Earley in these
papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is
reserved. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division for further
information.
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Charity Adams Earley Papers are open to research.
Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to
visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to
retrieve these items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Charity Adams Earley Papers,
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1918, Dec. 5
Born, Kittrell, N.C.
1938
B.A., Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio
1938
1942
Mathematics and science teacher, public school system,
Columbia, S.C.
1942
1946
United States Army, Women’s Auxiliary Corps; served as
company commander, staff training officer, and station control officer, Fort
Des Moines, Iowa, (1942-1944) and commanding officer, 6888th Central Postal
Directory Battalion, European Theater of Operations (1945)
1946
Retired from U. S. Army as lieutenant colonel
M.A., Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Registration officer, Veterans Administration, Cleveland,
Ohio
1948
Dean of personnel services, Tennessee Agricultural and
Industrial State College, Nashville, Tenn.
1948
1949
Dean of students, Georgia State College, Savannah, Ga.
1949
Married Stanley A. Earley, Jr.
1950
1952
Studied at University of Zurich and Jungian Institute of
Analytical Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland
1965
1993
Board of directors, Dayton, Ohio, area chapter, American Red
Cross
1972
1978
Board of governors, American Red Cross
1977
1992
Board of trustees, Sinclair Community College, Dayton,
Ohio
1979
1991
Board of directors, Dayton Power and Light Co.
1982
Founder Black Leadership Development Program, Dayton, Ohio,
1989
1989
Published
One Woman’s Army: A Black Officer Remembers the
WAC
. College Station: Texas A & M University Press
Founding member, Parity 2000 (renamed Parity Inc.)
2002, Jan. 13
Died, Dayton, Ohio
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Charity Edna Adams Earley (1918-2002) span the years
1928-2002, with the bulk of the material dating from 1942 to 2002. They are
arranged into categories of general correspondence, speeches and writings,
subject files, and oversize material. A large portion of the papers relates to
Earley’s experiences during World War II as the first African-American
commissioned officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, which became the
Woman’s Army Corps (WAC), and the highest ranking African-American woman to
serve overseas during the war.
Earley’s memoir,
One Woman’s Army: A Black Officer Remembers the WAC
,
recounts her experiences as a woman and as an African American in the
segregated military at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, and as commanding officer of the
6888th Central Postal Battalion stationed in Birmingham, England, and Rouen and
Paris, France. Additional information on her activities during World War II are
contained in military records, press clippings, and speeches.
Included in the subject files are materials relating to organizations
and programs which Charity Adams Earley served as a board member and events at
which she was honored for her accomplishments.
Arrangement of the Papers
The collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material or
topic.
Container List
Container
Contents
1
General correspondence,
1942-1944, 1986-2002, undated
[
See also Oversize
](earley1)
1942-1944, 1986-2002, undated
(10 folders)
1
Speeches and writings
1
Book,
One Woman’s Army: A Black Officer Remembers the
WAC
1
Drafts
1
Draft 1,
1946
1946
(2
folders)
2
Draft 2,
pre-1986
pre-1986
(5
folders)
2
Draft 3,
1986
1986
(3
folders)
2
Draft 4,
1986
1986
(3
folders)
3
Draft 5,
1986
1986
(3
folders)
3
Draft 6,
1986
1986
(3
folders)
3
Draft 7,
1987
1987
(1
folder)
4
(2 folders)
4
Draft 8,
1987
1987
(3
folders)
4
Draft 9,
undated
undated
(3
folders)
5
Miscellany,
1942-1948, 1987, undated
1942-1948, 1987, undated
(2
folders)
5
Miscellany,
1989-1997, undated
1989-1997, undated
5
Texas A & M University
Press,
1994-2002, undated
1994-2002, undated
5
Miscellaneous writings,
1995, undated
1995, undated
5
Speaking engagements,
1979, 1990-1997
1979, 1990-1997
(2
folders)
5
Subject file
5
American Red Cross,
1972, 1981, 1993-2001
1972, 1981, 1993-2001
5
Dayton Urban League, Black
Leadership Development Program, Dayton, Ohio,
1986-1999
1986-1999
(3
folders)
6
DPL Inc.,
1987-1990
1987-1990
6
“Glory and Destiny,” salute
to African Americans who served in World War II, Washington, D.C.,
1995
1995
6
Honors and awards,
1965-1967, 1979-1982, 1990-2002
1965-1967, 1979-1982, 1990-2002
(4
folders)
6
Military records,
1942-1945, undated
1942-1945, undated
(4
folders)
6
Miscellany,
1928-1934, 1990-2002, undated
1928-1934, 1990-2002, undated
(2
folders)
7
National Association of Black
Military Women,
1989-1999
1989-1999
(2
folders)
7
National World War II Memorial,
Washington, D.C.,
2000-2001
2000-2001
7
Parity Inc.,
1989-2002, undated
1989-2002, undated
(2
folders)
7
Printed matter
7
Miscellaneous,
1974, 1984-2002, undated
1974, 1984-2002, undated
(5
folders)
8
Press clippings,
1942-1948, 1965-1967, 1981-1983, 1989-2002,
undated
1942-1948, 1965-1967, 1981-1983, 1989-2002,
undated
(4
folders)
8
Women in Military Service for
America Memorial, Washington, D.C.,
1994-2001, undated
[
See also Oversize
](earley2)
1994-2001, undated
(5 folders)
OV 1
Oversize
OV 1
General correspondence,
1996
1996
(Container 1)
OV 1
Subject file
OV 1
Women in Military Service for
America Memorial, Washington, D.C.,
2000
2000
(Container 8)