University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 1-1-2013 Building Morale in a Soldier town: Home Front Women and the Gi in Columbia, South Carolina, 1941-1945 Jessica Kathleen Childress University of South Carolina - Columbia Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Childress, J. K.(2013). Building Morale in a Soldier town: Home Front Women and the Gi in Columbia, South Carolina, 1941-1945. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/2468 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you by Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. BUILDING MORALE IN A SOLDIER TOWN: HOME FRONT WOMEN AND THE GI IN COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, 1941-1945 by Jessica Kathleen Childress Bachelor of Arts University of Arizona, 2010 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts in Public History College of Arts and Sciences University of South Carolina 2013 Accepted by: Marjorie J. Spruill, Director of Thesis Robert R. Weyeneth, Reader Lacy Ford, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies © Copyright by Jessica Childress, 2013 All Rights Reserved ii ABSTRACT As the United States mobilized for war in 1941, cities and towns across America, especially those closest to military bases, were faced with an unprecedented influx of soldiers, airmen, and sailors. To cope with these waves of servicemen in their off-duty hours, particularly to provide for wholesome entertainment and lessen the emotional weight of wartime, Columbia, South Carolina solicited participation in morale-building programs from its residents.