On a broad-scale, it is easy to see how the events of World War II changed culture and social life in nearly every country around the world. However, most people do not think about the small-scale, more personal impacts of the Second World War on local communities. It is essential to understand that the War impacted rather small groups, like that of Ursinus College, just as intensely as it impacted the world on a large scale.
When I first started going to the Ursinus archives, I decided that I wanted to look into the small-scale, cultural impact of the Second World War on the campus community. Instead of a simple collection of documents and newspaper clippings, I was pleasantly surprised by the shear amount of war-related object in the archive. The one item that stuck out to me the most was a small plastic box with a photo of a sailor on top and some paper and a pencil inside. I was immediately intrigued and knew that I needed to learn more about the unique container.
When I first saw the box, I was slightly confused. Since when did the Navy hand out war propaganda in the form of a cute little plastic box? Upon talking to the archivist, Ms. Carolyn Weigel, I found out that this box was not created in direct relation to the war effort, but instead was produced in 1991 as a souvenir from the War Years Reunion. Apparently, the class of 1991 orchestrated a reunion to honor the young Ursinus men and women who joined the United States military during World War II.
The fact that such a box was created as a way to remember those who fought in the War showcases the profound impact that World War II had on the Ursinus community. Not only were the students of the time impacted, as shown by the plethora of newspaper articles and personal accounts regarding the War, but it seems that the students of 1991 were still feeling the lasting impacts of the event. After all, they made an effort to create a reunion for World War II veterans and make this special gift for people to keep in order to remember the event and the War. If the Second World War did not have a profound impact on the campus community, such a box, not to mention such an event, would never have been thought of.
This box stands as a symbol of how the Ursinus community, then and now, was forever changed by the events of World War II. By taking the time to design and create such a box, not to mention the event in which the box was distributed, it is clear that the War was still on people’s minds even decades in the future. I hope that this box will be a jumping off point for further exploration of the impact of World War II on the Ursinus community, then and now. There is still a great deal to uncover.
To learn more about this objects or others like it, please visit the following website: https://www.ursinus.edu/library/ursinusiana/
Bears Make History: Tale By Morgana O. 